Lt. Gen. Joginder Jaswant Singh

New Delhi : Lt. Gen. Joginder Jaswant Singh, a highly decorated officer with wide experience of commanding operational units in various theaters, was on Nov. 27 named the next Indian Army chief.

Singh, who will be the first Sikh to head the army, will succeed Gen. N.C. Vij when he retires on Jan. 31, according to an official statement.

The most senior lieutenant general in the army, the 59-year-old Army-chief-designate currently heads the Chandimandir-based Western Army Command. Awarded the Param Vishist Sewa Medal, the nation’s highest peace-time military award for distinguished service. Singh is married to Anupama Singh and the couple has a son and a daughter.