Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and his wife Sunita Dwivedi pledged to donate their organs after death during an organ donation awareness programme held at the Army Hospital (Research & Referral) in Delhi on Wednesday (August 20, 2025).
The couple, who were the chief guests at the event, joined senior dignitaries of the Armed Forces in making the pledge. The programme was attended by Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services, along with several senior officers.
Addressing the gathering, General Dwivedi reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ ethos of Seva Parmo Dharma — service before self — and urged personnel and their families to come forward for organ donation. “India is known for nearly 20,000 organ transplants per year, ranking second after the United States. Organ donation is one of the ways through which soldiers can serve humanity, even after death,” he said.
He also highlighted recent amendments to the National Organ Donation and Transplantation Programme, under which women recipients and family members of donors will be prioritised. Calling the step “a great initiative to encourage organ donation”, he appealed to the youth and Armed Forces personnel to make organ donation a national campaign.
The event concluded with a collective pledge by dignitaries, reaffirming the Armed Forces’ commitment to service and welfare of society. Former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane had also pledged his organs earlier, while several serving officers and veterans have registered with organ banks in recent years.