Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, currently in Army HQ in New Delhi, is likely to take over as the Northern Army commander very shortly. In another important move, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dikshit, currently heading the central air command, will take over as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff or CISC in Delhi.
The Army's Northern Command is a particularly important "operational" outfit, with the line of control in the west and Ladakh, where Indian troops are eyeball to eyeball with the Chinese People's Liberation Army in the east. The Siachen Glacier, the world's highest battlefield, is also part of Northern Command. Besides, there is the problem of terrorist activity in Kashmir and also Jammu. All these operational issues are dealt with by the northern army commander in Udhampur.
The CISC is directly under the Chief of Defence Staff (now General Anil Chauhan) and is a critically important job with the armed forces moving towards jointness. It is a job that will require considerable tact and skill. The Air Marshal, who has been deputy chief of the IAF, may have to implement the theaterisation plan, which will change the way the armed forces function, during his tenure.