Lt Gen BS Raju new Vice Chief of Army staff

NEW DELHI: Lt Gen Baggavalli Somashekar Raju will take over as the next vice chief of the Army Staff on May 1, the defence ministry said on Friday.

Lt Gen Raju will succeed incumbent Lt Gen Manoj Pande who will take the reins of the 1.3 million-strong Army after Army chief Gen Naravane completes his

term on Saturday. A qualified helicopter pilot, Lt Gen Raju is currently serving as the Director General Military Operations and oversaw the Army's overall operational readiness in eastern Ladakh.

Overseas maritime agencies undergo training

Delegates from maritime agencies of various nations underwent training on oil spill response techniques and shoreline clean-up as part of oil spill pollution control course, Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard conducted the 2-week-long course on

oil pollution preparedness, response and cooperation technique, shoreline cleanup methods and air surveillance for 42 delegates from Iran, Thailand, Comoros, Mauritius, Myanmar, Kenya, Oman, South Africa, Vietnam, Nigeria among others.

3 Army men injured in mine blast along LoC

Three Army men were injured in a mine blast during patrolling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Friday, officials said.

The injured personnel were

taken to a hospital and are undergoing treatment.

Indian, French armies hold talks to boost coop

Staff talks between the armies of India and France were held in Delhi on Friday to enhance cooperation, an Indian Army release said.

“The talks were focused on issues related to military training, military education, joint exercises and defence cooperation between the two armies,” it said on Twitter.

It was the 18th round of staff talks between the two armies.