India names next Army chief

India Tuesday named Lieutenant General Dalbir Singh Suhag as the next Army Chief, who will assume office when incumbent General Bikram Singh retires in July.

The outgoing Congress-led government cleared the name of Lieutenant General Suhag, currently the vice chief of the Indian Army, at its last Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the national capital, sources said.

The Defense Ministry had earlier proposed Lieutenant General Suhag's name for the top post, after getting the go-ahead from the independent Election Commission in charge of affairs during the general elections which concluded Monday.

The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party had earlier opposed to the move of outgoing government initiating the process of appointing the next head of the Indian Army, but Lieutenant General Suhag was named nevertheless.

As per the prevailing tradition, a new Army chief is named two to three months before the incumbent retires.

Lieutenant General Suhag will take charge of the force, a day after General Singh retires on July 31.