INDIA. Mumbai: Major General Sanjay Kumar Vidyarthi took over as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Uttar Maharashtra and Gujarat Sub Area (UMANG) from Major General Dinesh Hooda at a solemn ceremony held in Nagpur on February 6, Monday.
Commissioned in the Engineers Regiment of the Indian Army on December 19, 1987, the General Officer has held numerous important operational, instructional, and administrative appointments in his illustrious career spanning over three and a half decades.
Vidyarthi is a post-graduate M.Sc. (Defence Studies) from the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and holds an M.Phil. from the National Defence College, New Delhi.
He has commanded an Engineer Regiment in the Western Sector, a Mountain Brigade in Arunachal Pradesh, and an Infantry Division in the Western Sector. He also held various necessary staff appointments at the Army War College, Mhow, HQ Mountain Division, HQ Strike Corps, and Army HQ.
Vidyarthi was conferred the “Ati Vishisht Seva Medal” this year for his dedication to service and a Sena Medal (distinguished) while commanding the Brigade in Arunachal Pradesh.
As a commanding officer, Vidyarthi was instrumental in the rescue of the 4-year-old ‘Prince’ who was stuck in a 150-foot-deep borewell at Haldheri village in Kurukshetra district in Haryana in July 2006. This incident received wide media coverage and applause for the Army’s efforts.
The Indian Army’s sub-area office for North Maharashtra and Gujarat was shifted from Colaba in South Mumbai to Nagpur in 2018 as per the recommendations of the Lt. General (retired) D. B. Shekatkar Committee set up by the Ministry of Defence. An officer of Major General rank heads a sub-area, and the area has a Lt. General at its helm. UMANG has over 200 personnel, including officers and ranks, led by a Major General.
Apart from catering to the needs of the defence units, matters related to civilian aid, such as rescue missions during natural calamities or riot control, are also taken care of at the sub-area office.
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