In a rare and symbolic gathering at Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Droupadi Murmu met today with a group of senior military leaders, including current and former Chiefs of the Indian Army. The meeting featured Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi alongside former Chiefs General VP Malik, General NC Vij, General JJ Singh, General Deepak Kapoor, General Bikram Singh, and General Manoj Pande.
Held in the stately conference room of the President’s official residence, adorned with national flags and historic artwork, the session underscored a significant convergence of military insight and strategic leadership. The gathering comes a day after a classified briefing on Operation Sindoor, in which General Dwivedi apprised the retired Chiefs on recent developments related to India’s defense posture.
While specific details of the discussion remain undisclosed, the presence of General VP Malik—who led the Army during the 1999 Kargil War—suggests that past operational experience is being actively drawn upon to inform current security strategies, particularly with regard to ongoing tensions with China and Pakistan.
Rashtrapati Bhavan, a symbol of India’s democratic and military heritage, continues to play a central role in key national security consultations. The meeting reinforces the tradition of institutional memory and continuity in defense planning, with India’s top military minds collaborating to address evolving regional and global threats.
