Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth Appointed 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS)

Exam-focused facts from the 14 June 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS), has been appointed as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS).
He will assume office on the afternoon of June 30, 2026, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi who is scheduled to retire from service on the same date.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, Lt Gen Seth was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986.
Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, currently the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy), has been appointed as the Military Adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).
Lt Gen Ghai succeeds General N. S. Raja Subramani and is the first serving three-star officer to be appointed to this position since its revival in 2018.