The Centre on Monday appointed Eastern Army commander Lt Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane as the next vice-chief of the Indian Army.

Commissioned into the 7th Battalion of the Sikh Light Infantry in June 1980, Lt Gen. Naravane is the senior-most officer of the force after the present army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat and is in line to replace Rawat who retires on December 31 this year.

The government also appointed four senior officers as army commanders.

Lt Gen. Anil Chauhan will be the new Eastern Command chief. Lt Gen. R.P. Singh will head the Western Command, succeeding Lt Gen. Surinder Singh who retires on July 31.

Lt Gen. A.S. Kler will head the Jaipur-based South-Western Command and replace Lt Gen. Cherish Matheson, who retires on August 31.

The Lucknow-based Central Command will now be headed by Lt Gen. I.S. Ghuman who will replace Lt Gen. Abhay Krishna.