Devendra Sharma (general) explained

Honorific Prefix:Lieutenant General
Devendra Sharma
Office:General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Army Training Command
Term Start:1 July 2024
1Blankname:Chief of Army Staff
1Namedata:Upendra Dwivedi
Predecessor:Manjinder Singh
Serviceyears:19 December 1987 – present
Allegiance: India
Rank: Lieutenant General
Military Blank1:Service number
Military Data1:IC-47003Y
Unit:14th Horse (Scinde Horse)
Commands:
Military Blank2:Awards
Military Data2:
Alma Mater:Mayo College
National Defence Academy
Indian Military Academy

Lieutenant General Devendra Sharma, AVSM, SM is a serving general officer of the Indian Army. He currently serves as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Army Training Command.[1] He previously served as the Chief of Staff, Western Command.[2] He earlier served as General Officer Commanding Vajra Corps (XI Corps),[3] prior to that he served as Chief of Staff, Western Command.[4] The general officer is also the Colonel of the Scinde Horse.

Early life and education

The general officer is an alumnus of Mayo College, Ajmer.[5] He then attended the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. In Indian Military Academy, he was awarded the Sword of Honour for standing first in overall merit.[6] He is also an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, College of Defence Management, Secunderabad and Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. While doing Higher Defence Management Course at CDM, he was awarded the Chief of Army Staff Trophy for standing First in overall order of merit.[7]

Military career

He was commissioned into the 14th Horse (Scinde Horse) on 19 December 1987 from the Indian Military Academy. He has commanded the Scinde Horse, an armoured brigade as part of the strike corps, an infantry division and a corps on the western front, an instructor at the National Defence Academy, a Staff Officer Operations in the Indian Military Training Team, Bhutan and the Chief Military Personnel Officer of the United Nations Mission in Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). He has a rich experience of both conventional and counter insurgency operations. As a young officer, he served with an Infantry Battalion in OPERATION RAKSHAK (J&K) where he was awarded the Sena Medal for Gallantry.

After being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant general, he assumed the appointment of Chief of Staff, Western Command on 18 October 2021. On 11 February 2022, he took over as the General Officer Commanding Vajra Corps (XI Corps) from Lieutenant general C Bansi Ponnappa. A year later on 16 May 2023 he assumed appointment as the Chief of Staff, Western Command.

On 1 July 2024, he took over as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Army Training Command succeeding Lieutenant general Manjinder Singh who moved to South Western Command as Army Commander.

Awards and decorations

He was conferred with the award of Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2022 [8] and Sena Medal for gallantry. He has also been awarded with Central Army Commander's Commendation card and UN Force Commander's Appreciation.

Ati Vishisht Seva MedalSena Medal
Special Service MedalOperation Vijay MedalOperation Parakram MedalSainya Seva Medal
High Altitude MedalVidesh Seva Medal75th Independence Anniversary Medal50th Independence Anniversary Medal
30 Years Long Service Medal20 Years Long Service Medal9 Years Long Service MedalMONUSCO

Dates of rank

InsigniaRankComponentDate of rank
Second LieutenantIndian Army19 December 1987[9]
LieutenantIndian Army19 December 1989[10]
CaptainIndian Army19 December 1992[11]
MajorIndian Army19 December 1998
Lieutenant ColonelIndian Army16 December 2004[12]
ColonelIndian Army1 January 2008[13]
BrigadierIndian Army1 June 2014 (acting)1 November 2014 (substantive, with seniority from 27 January 2012)[14]
Major GeneralIndian Army1 September 2019 (seniority from 1 January 2018) [15]
Lieutenant GeneralIndian Army2021

Notes and References

  1. 2024-07-01 . Lt Gen Devendra Sharma takes over as new GOC-in-C, ARTRAC, Shimla . Hindustan Times.
  2. News: 2023-05-16 . Lt Gen Devendra Sharma takes over as Western Command's Chief of Staff . 2024-07-02 . The Economic Times . 0013-0389.
  3. Web site: 2022-02-12 . Lieut Gen Devendra Sharma is new Vajra Corps commander . 2022-02-12.
  4. Web site: Excelsior . Daily . 2021-10-18 . Lt Gen Devendra takes over as CoS Hqs Western Command . 2024-07-02 . Daily Excelsior . en-US.
  5. Web site: 17 May 2023 . Lt Gen Devendra Sharma takes over as the Chief of Staff of the Indian Army's Western Command . 1 July 2024 . Mayo College Alumni.
  6. Web site: Recipients of Sword of Honour . 1 July 2024 . Indian Army.
  7. https://indianarmy.nic.in/leaders/leaders-site-main/army-commanders-leaders-site-main
  8. Web site: 25 January 2022 . Honours and Awards : Republic Day 2022 . 2 July 2024 . PIB.
  9. News: 21 January 1989 . Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . The Gazette of India . 114.
  10. News: 22 February 1992 . Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . The Gazette of India . 342.
  11. News: 10 July 1993 . Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . The Gazette of India . 1326.
  12. News: 3 December 2005 . Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . The Gazette of India . 2432.
  13. News: 20 February 2010 . Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . The Gazette of India . 267.
  14. News: 9 January 2016 . Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . live . The Gazette of India . 146.
  15. News: 25 December 2021 . Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . The Gazette of India . 2964.