New Delhi: Lieutenant General Mohit Seth assumed command of the Indian Army’s Nagrota-based XVI Corps, also known as White Knight Corps, on Thursday. He succeeded Lieutenant General Pratik Kumar Mishra at a formation responsible for key border and counterterrorism operations in the Jammu region.
His appointment brings an officer with experience in Kashmir and military cooperation with Bhutan to the helm of a corps whose responsibilities encompass the line of control (LoC) and security operations south of the Pir Panjal range.
Announcing the change of command, the White Knight Corps said Lt Gen Seth called on personnel to maintain operational preparedness, professional standards and cohesion within the formation. He also emphasized their responsibility to contribute to peace, security and stability in the region, according to the Army’s statement.
Also known as 16 Corps, the formation oversees the Akhnoor, Rajouri and Poonch sectors, placing its commander at the centre of the Army’s security arrangements across a strategically important stretch facing Pakistan. Its remit includes counter-terrorism operations conducted by the Rashtriya Rifles’ Romeo Force and Delta Force, alongside its responsibilities on the LoC.
The appointment therefore combines two substantial operational responsibilities – maintaining readiness against military threats across the boundary and directing operations against terrorists within the region. Border surveillance and counter-infiltration measures form one part of this task, while operations in the hinterland address armed groups that have crossed into or established themselves within Indian territory.
Before taking up the Nagrota appointment, Lt Gen Seth served as commandant of the Indian Military Training Team (Imtrat) in Bhutan. Mishra, who handed over command, is moving to a staff appointment.
Lt Gen Mohit Seth profile
Lt Gen Seth is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the National Defence College. He was commissioned into the 3rd Battalion of the Madras Regiment in December 1991. His career has included command and staff assignments in Jammu & Kashmir, the northeast and Army Headquarters, as well as service as the Indian Army liaison officer at India’s high commission in the United Kingdom.
His earlier operational appointments include command of counterinsurgency force Kilo, which he took over on December 20, 2022, when he held the rank of major general. That assignment involved counterterrorism responsibilities in north Kashmir, giving him previous experience of directing a Rashtriya Rifles formation in Jammu and Kashmir.
His subsequent posting in Bhutan involved a different dimension of military leadership, centred on training and cooperation with a neighbouring country’s armed forces. IMTRAT, described by the Army as India’s oldest overseas military mission, supports the defence partnership through joint training and leadership development with the Royal Bhutan Army.
The White Knight Corps’ operational significance extends beyond the immediate handover, given the persistent relationship between infiltration along the boundary and terrorism in the hinterland. In its year-end review for 2025, the defence ministry identified a robust counter-infiltration network and sustained operations in the middle and higher reaches of the Poonch-Rajouri region as priorities.
The ministry assessed the security situation after the May 2025 India–Pakistan military confrontation as stable but unpredictable, while reporting continuing attempts to infiltrate terrorists. That assessment explains the continuing importance of formations such as 16 Corps, which must sustain border readiness alongside operations directed at preventing terrorist groups from gaining space within the region.
The White Knight Corps was raised on June 1, 1972, as part of the Northern Command, with Lieutenant General Jack Farj Rafael Jacob as its first general officer commanding. Headquartered at Nagrota, it has remained a central formation in the Army’s arrangements for defending the Jammu region and conducting counter-insurgency operations.
Lt Gen Seth’s appointment coincided with another corps-level handover, with Lieutenant General Akhilesh Kumar succeeding Lieutenant General V Hariharan as commander of 1 Corps, also known as Strike One. Kumar paid tribute to fallen personnel and urged troops to remain focused on operational preparedness, the Northern Command said, marking leadership changes at two formations serving under the command.