Lieutenant General Ajai Kumar Singh PVSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM is a serving general officer of the Indian Army. He currently serves as the General Officer Commanding in Chief Southern Command of the Indian Army [2] , he assumed the upon superannuation of Lieutenant-General Jai Singh Nain. He previously served as General Officer Commanding XXXIII Corps.
Ajai Kumar Singh | |
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| General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Command | |
| Assumed office 1 November 2022 | |
| Chief of Army Staff | Manoj Pande |
| Preceded by | Jai Singh Nain |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  India |
| Branch/service |  Indian Army |
| Years of service | 15 December 1984 – Present |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Unit | .svg){kind=small} 7/11 Gorkha Rifles |
| Commands |  Southern ArmyXXXIII Corps 1/11 Gorkha Rifles |
| Service number | IC-42336F [1] |
| Awards | |
Early life and education edit
The general officer is an alumnus of St Gabriel’s Academy, Roorkee. He then attended the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy.[3] He is also a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and the National Defence College.[4]
Military Career edit
The general officer was commissioned into the 7th battalion of the 11th Gorkha Rifles on 15 December 1984 from the Indian Military Academy.[4][5]He has commanded 1/11 Gorkha Rifles as part of a Strike Corps, and subsequently on the Line of Control.[5] He later commanded a brigade in Rann Sector, a Counter Insurgency Force in J&K and XXXIII Corps in the Eastern Sector.[4] He has been an Instructor at Commando School, Belgaum and has held a post in the Military Wing at the Indian Embassy, Nepal. He has also served as Director, Military Operations Branch, Deputy Director General, Discipline & Vigilance, Additional Director General of Military Operations and Director General of Operations & Logistics branch at the IHQ of MoD (Army).[4]
Personal life edit
An alumnus of Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling the General Officer is a keen Trekker and Mountaineer having climbed Mount Rathong (22005 ft) in Kanchenjunga Massif. He is a keen sportsman with interest in cycling, Yoga and is an ardent reader of spirituality, mythology, history and nature.
The Officer was married to Mrs Shalini who was a Reikei and Pranic healer with interest in Naturopathy and Yoga and had been actively involved in various welfare activities of troops and families before she died on 01 Apr 2020. They have two children; son, Abhinav Singh Chauhan & daughter, Sanjana Singh [3]
Awards and Decorations edit
The general officer is a recipient of Param Vishist Seva Medal [6], Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
  
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Dates of rank edit
| Insignia | Rank | Component | Date of rank |
|---|---|---|---|
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Second Lieutenant | Indian Army | 15 December 1984[1] |
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Lieutenant | Indian Army | 15 December 1986[7] |
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Captain | Indian Army | 15 December 1989[8] |
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Major | Indian Army | 15 December 1995[9] |
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Lieutenant-Colonel | Indian Army | 16 December 2004[10] |
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Colonel | Indian Army | 1 April 2006[11] |
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Brigadier | Indian Army | 13 June 2011 (acting) 14 November 2011 (substantive, with seniority from 3 April 2010)[12] |
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Major General | Indian Army | 17 March 2017 (seniority from 1 February 2015)[13] |
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Lieutenant-General | Indian Army | 28 January 2020[14] |
References edit
- ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 17 December 1988. p. 1854.
- ^ "Lieutenant General Ajai Kumar Singh, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal taken over the charges of Southern Command, Pune". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ a b https://indianarmy.nic.in/leaders/leaders-site-main/army-commanders
- ^ a b c d "Lt Gen Ajai K. Singh assumes charge of Southern Command". The New Indian Express. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Lt General Ajai Kumar Singh takes charge of Army Southern Command in Pune". The Indian Express. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- ^ "75th Republic Day: President approves Gallantry awards to 80 Armed Forces personnel, including 12 posthumous". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 10 June 1989. p. 802.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 19 January 1991. p. 144.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 13 April 1996. p. 555.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 15 October 2005. p. 1901.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 21 February 2009. p. 259.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 22 March 2014. p. 438.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 16 April 2022. p. 755.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 24 October 2020. p. 1670.