Overview

• The Press Information Bureau (PIB) confirmed that Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar’s departure is due to his scheduled retirement on April 30, unrelated to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
• Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, currently Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy), will officially take over as Northern Command chief on May 1.
• The government had approved Sharma’s appointment before the Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of 26 soldiers in Baisaran Valley.
• The PIB debunked rumors of disciplinary action, internal rifts, or false flag operations involving Lt Gen Kumar, labeling such claims as misinformation.
• Lt Gen Sharma recently participated in a security review in Srinagar alongside the Army Chief, highlighting ongoing operational readiness along the India-Pakistan border.