This is the second occasion when the Pune-headquartered Southern Command is hosting the Army Day Parade in its area of responsibility after Bengaluru, where it was held in 2023.
Meet The Commanding Officers Pune Army Day Parade
When the city of Pune witnesses the momentous occasion of hosting the Army Day Parade on January 15, two decorated officers with exemplary military careers will be the Parade Commander and the Second-in-Command. The Army Day Parade in Pune will be commanded by Major General Anurag Vij, a decorated officer of the Regiment of Artillery and a second-generation Army officer. The second-in-command of the parade is Brigadier Paramjit Singh Jyoti, a decorated officer of the Corps of Engineers with rich academic accomplishments.
The duo will have the central responsibility of overseeing the entire parade, ensuring precise execution of drills, coordination, and the smooth flow of the event with support from various key Army formations in Pune under the aegis of the Southern Command. Multiple rehearsals of the parade have been held till now the full dress rehearsal having been held on Saturday.
This will be the third occasion on which a city other than New Delhi will host Army Day Parade, keeping in line with the Union government’s decision of holding events of national importance outside the national capital, in order to give them wider visibility and participation of citizens. This is the second occasion when the Pune-headquartered Southern Command is hosting the event in its area of responsibility after Bengaluru, where it was held in 2023.
Parade Commander
Major General Vij is currently the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Pune-headquartered Dakshin Maharashtra and Goa Sub Area of the Indian Army. Admitted into NDA in 1986, he passed out from IMA in 1990 to be commissioned into the Army as a second-generation soldier.
Second-in-Command
The Parade Second-in-Command is Brigadier Paramjit Singh Jyoti, Vishisht Seva Medal, who is currently Commandant of the Bombay Engineer Group and Centre, the venue of the parade.
Army Day is celebrated on 15 January every year in India, in recognition of Lieutenant General Kodandera M. Cariappa’s taking over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Francis Roy Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India, on 15 January 1949.
