Lt Gen Pratik Sharma takes over as new Northern Army Commander

JAMMU — Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma on Wednesday assumed charge as the new General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the strategic Udhampur-based Northern Army Command. He replaced Lt Gen M V Suchendra Kumar after his 15-month tenure in the office.

Lt Gen Sharma is an infantry officer who has served in varied operational environments. He was a part of key operations such as operations Pawan, Meghdoot, Rakshak and Parakram.

Lt Gen Sharma has held key appointments, including Director General Military Operations, Military Secretary branch. He was also the Director General of Information Warfare at the newly institutionalised Information Directorate at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi.

The Udhampur-based Northern Army Command looks after the entire gamut of operations against Pakistan and China in the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh sectors.

In February last year, the outgoing General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command, Lt Gen M V Suchendra Kumar, took over from then Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, who later became the Army Chief.