In the first instance in Indian military history, two classmates, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, and Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, will be serving as chiefs of the Indian Army and Navy, respectively.
Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi and Army Chief Designate Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi were batchmates at the Sainik School, Rewa, in Madhya Pradesh.
They studied together in the school from class 5th-A in the early 1970s.
The roll numbers of the two officers were also around each other, as Lt Gen Dwivedi’s roll number was 931 and Admiral Tripathi’s was 938, media reports said.
A defence official who knows both officers said the two officers have a strong friendship.
“This rare honour of nurturing two prodigious students, who would go on to lead their respective Services 50 years later, goes to Sainik School, Rewa, in Madhya Pradesh,” Defence Ministry Spokesperson A Bharat Bhushan Babu said in a tweet.
Admiral Tripathi took over the command of the Indian Navy on May 1, while Lt Gen Dwivedi will take over his new appointment this Monday.