M. V. Suchindra Kumar
{{short description|Indian Army General}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = Lieutenant General
| name = M. V. Suchindra Kumar
| honorific_suffix = {{Postnominals|country=IND|size=90%|PVSM|AVSM|YSM}}**
{{Postnominals|country=IND|size=90%|VSM}}
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = File:Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| alt =
| caption =
| office = General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command
| 1blankname = Chief of Army Staff
| 1namedata = Manoj Pande
Upendra Dwivedi
| term_start = 19 February 2024
| term_end =
| predecessor = Upendra Dwivedi
| successor =
| office1 = 45th Vice Chief of the Army Staff
| president1 = Droupadi Murmu
| 1blankname1 = Chief of Army Staff
| 1namedata1 = Manoj Pande
| term_start1 = 1 March 2023
| term_end1 = 18 February 2024
| predecessor1 = B. S. Raju
| successor1 = Upendra Dwivedi
| birth_date =
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| allegiance = {{IND}}
| branch = {{army|India}}
| serviceyears = 8 June 1985 – 30 April 2025
| rank = 20px Lieutenant General
| military_blank1 = Service number
| military_data1 = IC-42794X https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1999669
| unit = 20px 1 Assam Regiment
| commands = 20px Northern Command
20px XVI Corps
120 Infantry Brigade
20px 59 Rashtriya Rifles (Assam)
| battles =
| battles_label =
| military_blank2 = Awards
| military_data2 = {{plainlist|
- 20px Param Vishisht Seva Medal
- 20px Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
- 20px Bar to Yudh Seva Medal
- 20px Yudh Seva Medal
- 20px Vishisht Seva Medal
}}
| spouse = Asha Suchindra
| relations =
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| alma_mater = Indian Military Academy
}}
Lieutenant General M. V. Suchindra Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, YSM**, VSM is a serving general officer of the Indian Army. He currently serves as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command.{{Cite web |last=Service |first=Statesman News |date=2024-02-20 |title=Lt General Suchindra Kumar takes charge of Army's Northern Command |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/india/lt-general-suchindra-kumar-takes-charge-of-armys-northern-command-1503271525.html |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=The Statesman |language=en}} He previously served as the 45th Vice Chief of the Army Staff,{{Cite web |date=2023-02-16 |title=Lieutenant General MV Suchindra Kumar appointed new Army Vice Chief |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/lieutenant-general-mv-suchindra-kumar-appointed-new-army-vice-chief-2335337-2023-02-16 |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=India Today |language=en}} prior to that he was Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Strategy).{{Cite web |title=Lt. General M.V. Suchindra Kumar took over the appointment of Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy) of Indian Army |url=https://www.spslandforces.com/appointments/?id=59&h=Lt-General-MV-Suchindra-Kumar-took-over-the-appointment-of-Deputy-Chief-of-Army-Staff-Strategy-of-Indian-Army |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=www.spslandforces.com}} He also served as the Director General Military Intelligence and as the General Officer Commanding XVI Corps.{{Cite news |date=2020-10-13 |title=Lieutenant General M V Suchindra Kumar assumes command of Jammu-based 16 Corps |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/lieutenant-general-m-v-suchindra-kumar-assumes-command-of-jammu-based-16-corps/articleshow/78638744.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2024-05-29 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}} He is also the Colonel of the Assam Regiment & the Arunachal Scouts.
Early life and education
He was born in a Lingayat family completed his schooling from the Sainik School, Bijapur. He then attended the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy.{{cite web |title=Lt. Gen Suchindra Kumar visits Chinar Corps to enhance Army's coordination in Jammu & Kashmir |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/lt-gen-suchindra-kumar-visits-chinar-corps-to-enhance-armys-coordination-in-jammu-kashmir/articleshow/79773031.cms?from=mdr |website=The Economic Times |access-date=17 February 2023 |date=17 December 2020}} He also attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Higher Command Course, Mhow and the National Defence College, New Delhi. He has also attended courses on Cooperative Security in South Asia in Sri Lanka and United Nations Senior Mission Leaders Course in Egypt.{{Cite web |date=1 March 2023 |title=LIEUTENANT GENERAL MV SUCHINDRA KUMAR TAKES OVER AS VICE CHIEF OF THE ARMY STAFF |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1903329 |access-date=20 August 2024 |website=PIB}}
Military career
The general officer was commissioned into the 1st battalion, The Assam Regiment (1 ASSAM) in June 1985. He attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. He served as an instructor at the Infantry School, Mhow. As part of the United Nations, he served as the Sector Senior Operations Officer in the Transitional Authority in Cambodia and in the Indian Army Training team in Lesotho.{{cite web |title=Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar to be new Vice Chief of Army |url=https://theprint.in/india/lt-gen-mv-suchindra-kumar-to-be-new-vice-chief-of-army/1376791/ |website=ThePrint |access-date=17 February 2023 |date=16 February 2023}} At Army headquarters, he served in the Military Secretary Branch. He commanded the 59 battalion, The Rashtriya Rifles (Assam). The RR battalions are deployed in a counter-insurgency role in Jammu and Kashmir.
Promoted to the rank of Brigadier, he commanded the 120 Infantry Brigade. For this stint, he was awarded the Yudh Seva Medal on 26 January 2014.{{cite web |title=368 Republic Day Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations Announced |url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=102732 |website=archive.pib.gov.in |access-date=17 February 2023}} He was then selected to attend the National Defence College in New Delhi, as part of the 54th course. After completing the course, he was appointed Brigadier General Staff (BGS) of a corps in the Eastern theatre. On 26 January 2018, he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.{{cite web |title=390 Republic Day Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations Announced |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1517875 |website=pib.gov.in |access-date=17 February 2023}}
=General officer=
He was promoted to the rank of Major General and appointed General officer commanding of an infantry division on the line of control. In the 2019 Republic Day honours, he was awarded a bar to the Yudh Seva Medal.{{cite web |title=411 Republic Day Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations Announced |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1561454 |website=pib.gov.in |access-date=17 February 2023}} He subsequently served in the Military Intelligence directorate as the Additional Director General Military Intelligence (ADGMI). On 28 January 2020, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and was appointed the General Officer Commanding of XVI Corps succeeding Lieutenant General Harsha Gupta.{{cite web |title=Lieutenant General M V Suchindra Kumar assumes command of Jammu-based 16 Corps |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/lieutenant-general-m-v-suchindra-kumar-assumes-command-of-jammu-based-16-corps/articleshow/78638744.cms?from=mdr |website=The Economic Times |access-date=17 February 2023 |date=13 October 2020}}{{cite web |title=Lt Gen M V Suchindra Kumar takes command of Jammu-based 16 Corps |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/lt-gen-m-v-suchindra-kumar-takes-command-of-jammu-based-16-corps20201013221846/ |website=ANI News |access-date=17 February 2023 |language=en}} For his tenure as GOC XVI Corps, he was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 January 2022.{{cite web |title=President approves 384 Gallantry Awards and other defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel on Republic Day |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1792624 |website=pib.gov.in |access-date=17 February 2023}} After a year-long stint, he moved to Army HQ as the Director General Military Intelligence (DGMI).{{cite web |title=Who Is Lt General MV Suchindra Kumar, Indian Army's New Vice Chief? All You Need To Know |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/meet-mv-suchindra-kumar-indian-army-s-new-vice-chief-news-262553 |website=outlookindia.com |access-date=17 February 2023}} After a short stint as DGMI, on 1 July 2022 he assumed the appointment of Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy).
On 1 March 2023, Lieutenant General M. V. Suchindra Kumar took over as the 45th Vice Chief of the Army Staff succeeding Lieutenant General B. S. Raju
Personal life
He is married to Asha Suchindra, an educationalist. The couple has two children. Gen Kumar is an amateur half marathon runner, golf enthusiast and yoga practitioner. An avid reader, his military papers have been published in a number of professional journals.{{cite web |title=The Official Home Page of the Indian Army |url=https://indianarmy.nic.in/leaders/leaders-site-main/army-commanders-leaders-site-main |access-date= |website=www.indianarmy.nic.in}}
Awards and decorations
The General officer was awarded the Yudh Seva Medal in 2014, the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2018, a bar to the Yudh Seva Medal in 2019, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2022 and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2024.{{Cite web |title=75th Republic Day: President approves Gallantry and distinguished awards to Army |url=https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/jan/doc2024125302501.pdf |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=pib.gov.in}}
| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |
| colspan="4"|105px 105px |
| 105px |
| 105px |
| 105px |
| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |
| | Param Vishisht Seva Medal
| |
| Yudh Seva Medal (Bar) |
| Sainya Seva Medal |
| 30 Years Long Service Medal |
Dates of rank
References
{{reflist}}
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{{s-mil}}
{{succession box
| title = General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command
| years = 19 February 2022 - present
| before = Upendra Dwivedi
| after = Incumbent
}}
{{succession box
| title = Vice Chief of the Army Staff
| years = 1 March 2023 – 18 February 2024
| before = B. S. Raju
| after = Upendra Dwivedi
}}
{{succession box
| title = Deputy Chief of the Army Staff
(Strategy)
| years = 1 July 2022 – 28 February 2023
| before = Sanjeev Kumar Sharma
| after = Tarun Kumar Aich
}}
{{succession box
| title = General Officer Commanding XVI Corps
| years = 14 October 2020 – 28 October 2021
| before = Harsha Gupta
| after = Manjinder Singh
}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, M V Suchindra}}
Category:Recipients of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Category:Recipients of the Yudh Seva Medal
Category:Recipients of the Vishisht Seva Medal
Category:National Defence Academy (India) alumni
Category:Army War College, Mhow alumni
Category:National Defence College, India alumni
Category:Defence Services Staff College alumni