Lt Gen Bipin Rawat takes over as new Vice Chief of Army

New Delhi, Sep 1 (IANS) Lt Gen Bipin Rawat took over as Vice Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army on Thursday.

Lt Gen Rawat was commissioned in the Fifth Battalion of the Eleven Gorkha Rifles in December 1978, from IMA, Dehradun, where he was awarded the 'Sword of Honour'.

He has commanded an Infantry battalion, along the Line of Actual Control in the Eastern Sector; a Rashtriya Rifles Sector and an Infantry Division in the Kashmir Valley, and has vast experience in high altitude warfare and counter-insurgency operations.

He has also tenanted instructional appointments at Indian Military Academy, Dehradun and at Army War College, Mhow.

Meanwhile, Lt Gen P.M. Hariz on Thursday assumed office of the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Army's Southern Command at the command headquarters in Pune, the post earlier held by Lt Gen Rawat.

Immediately prior to his current appointment, he was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Army Training Command in Shimla.