Gen VK Singh takes over as Indian Army chief
01 Apr 2010
New Delhi: General Vijay Kumar Singh took over as the chief of the Indian army staff from General Deepak Kapoor on 31 March 2010. Gen Singh was in charge of the eastern army command prior to his new appointment.
 |
| Gen VK Singh takes charge from Gen Deepak Kapoor |
A third generation officer from the Rajput Regiment, Gen Singh is a graduate of the Wellington-based Defence Services Staff College as well as the US Army War College at Carlisle. He has also participated in a US Army Rangers Course at Fort Benning in the US.
The new chief belongs to the Rajput Regiment and has Field Marshal KM Cariappa as an impressive forebear. FM Caraippa was the first Indian to become the Army chief in 1949.
Gen VK Singh becomes the 26th chief of the Indian Army, though the 24th Indian to assume command as the first two chiefs were British.
Gen Singh was commissioned in the Rajput Regiment in June 1970 and commanded the same unit when it was positioned along the Line of Control with Pakistan.