Defence★ Must Know

General Dhiraj Seth Takes Over as 31st Chief of the Army Staff

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Tuesday, 30 June 2026 2 min readSource: Press Information BureauArticle 1 of 6

On 30 June 2026, General Dhiraj Seth assumed charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi, who superannuated after more than four decades of service. Prior to this, General Seth served as the 49th Vice Chief of the Army Staff. A 1986-batch officer commissioned into the Armoured Corps (the 2nd Lancers / Gardner's Horse) and an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), he has commanded formations across diverse theatres — including an armoured regiment in the desert sector, an armoured brigade in the western theatre, a counter-insurgency force in Jammu & Kashmir, and the strike-role XXI (Sudarshan Chakra) Corps. He also headed two western-front commands — the Southern Command (Pune) and the South Western Command (Jaipur) — and is decorated with the PVSM, UYSM and AVSM. He takes over the 1.2-million-strong Army at a time of accelerating military modernisation and evolving multi-front security challenges.

Key Facts & Details

9 points

1
General Dhiraj Seth took charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) on 30 June 2026.
2
He succeeds General Upendra Dwivedi, who retired after 40+ years of service.
3
Seth was earlier the 49th Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
4
He was commissioned into the Armoured Corps (2nd Lancers / Gardner's Horse) in December 1986 and is an NDA alumnus.
5
He earlier commanded the XXI (Sudarshan Chakra) Corps and both the Southern Command (Pune) and South Western Command (Jaipur).
6
He is decorated with the PVSM, UYSM and AVSM.

Deep Dive

+
The Chief of the Army Staff is the professional head of the Indian Army, one of the three service chiefs under the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
+
General Seth comes from a military family — his father, Lt Gen Krishna Mohan Seth, was a former Adjutant General and later a Governor.
+
He is regarded for his contributions to modernisation and future-warfare doctrine, having led strategically vital formations along the western frontier.

Exam Focus

Who took over as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff in June 2026, and whom did he succeed?

Exam Relevance & Angle

Heads of the three armed forces are among the most frequently tested appointments/defence GA facts. Examiners ask the person (Gen Dhiraj Seth), the post (31st COAS), the predecessor (Gen Upendra Dwivedi) and his branch (Armoured Corps) — all clean, testable hooks across banking, SSC and defence-entry exams.

Target Exams

SBI POIBPS POIBPS RRB OfficerRBI Grade BSSC CGLSSC CHSLSSC CPOSSC GDRRB NTPCUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) is a four-star general who is the professional head and senior-most operational commander of the Indian Army. Along with the Navy and Air Force chiefs, the COAS functions under the overall framework of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the Department of Military Affairs. Service-chief appointments are approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by the Prime Minister, and formally cleared by the President of India, who is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) is the second-senior-most officer in the Army hierarchy.