Nav Kumar Khanduri Explained

Honorific Prefix:Lieutenant General
Nav Kumar Khanduri
Honorific Suffix:PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Serviceyears:December 1983 June 2023
Allegiance: India
Rank:Lieutenant-General
Servicenumber:IC-41495M
Unit:27 Air Defence Regiment
(Corps of Army Air Defence)
Commands: Western Command
XXIII Corps
15 Infantry Division
Alma Mater:National Defence Academy
Indian Military Academy
Defence Services Staff College
Awards: Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Vishisht Seva Medal

Lieutenant General Nav Kumar Khanduri AVSM, VSM is a retired general officer in the Indian Army, and the former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Command since November 2021. He is the first officer from the Corps of Army Air Defence to become an army commander.[1]

Biography

An alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun and the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Khanduri passed out with the 73rd Regular Course from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun and was commissioned into 27 AD Missile Regiment (Amritsar Airfield) on 17 December 1983.[2] He commanded an air defence brigade in Operation Rakshak and a mountain brigade in Operation Falcon.[1] [3] He served as an instructor at the College of Defence Management, Secunderabad and has held various staff appointments in field, high altitude and Integrated Headquarters postings.

Khanduri has also served with the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan, as a United Nations Military Observer with the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia and as Deputy Chief Integrated Service Support with the United Nations Mission in Ivory Coast.[1] He commanded 15 Infantry Division, and was subsequently appointed Director General Operational Logistics and Strategic Movement before assuming command of XXXIII Corps in September 2019.[4] On 30 June 2023, he formally retired from the Army.[5]

Awards and decorations

He was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in the 2016 Republic Day decorations list,[6] the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in the 2021 Republic Day decorations list and [7] the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2023.

Param Vishisht Seva MedalAti Vishisht Seva MedalVishisht Seva MedalSpecial Service Medal
Operation Vijay MedalOperation Parakram MedalSainya Seva MedalHigh Altitude Service Medal
Videsh Seva Medal75th Anniversary of Independence Medal50th Anniversary of Independence Medal30 Years Long Service Medal
20 Years Long Service Medal9 Years Long Service MedalUnited Nations Operation in Côte d'IvoireUN Transitional Authority, Cambodia

Dates of rank

Insignia Rank Component Date of rank
17 December 1983[8]
Indian Army 17 December 1985
Indian Army 17 December 1988[9]
Indian Army 17 December 1994[10]
Indian Army 16 December 2004[11]
Indian Army 15 March 2006[12]
Indian Army 18 March 2011 (with seniority from 1 September 2009)[13]
Indian Army 3 April 2016 (with seniority from 23 August 2014)[14]
Indian Army 1 September 2018[15]

Notes and References

  1. News: . 1 November 2021 . Lt Gen Khanduri takes over as GOC-in-C, Western Command . The Tribune . 23 December 2021.
  2. Web site: Lt Gen Nav Khanduri takes charge as GOC-in-C of Western Command. 2021-11-01. 2022-02-16.
  3. Web site: World Forest Day observed in Valley. 2015-03-14. 2022-02-16.
  4. News: . 13 September 2019 . Lt. Gen Nav K Khanduri assumes charge as commander of Trishakti Corps . ANI News . 23 December 2021.
  5. News: . 1 July 2023 . Lt Gen Nav K Khanduri relinquishes command of Western Army . Hindustan Times . 22 July 2023.
  6. Web site: 2016: List of Awardees . www.indianarmy.nic.in . 26 January 2021 . 23 December 2021.
  7. Web site: 2019: List of Awardees . www.indianarmy.nic.in . 26 January 2021 . 23 December 2021.
  8. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 902 . 29 June 1985 . The Gazette of India.
  9. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 1398 . 16 September 1989 . The Gazette of India.
  10. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 569 . 15 April 1995 . The Gazette of India.
  11. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 1898 . 15 October 2005 . The Gazette of India.
  12. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 2181 . 20 December 2008 . The Gazette of India.
  13. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 432 . 22 March 2014 . The Gazette of India.
  14. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 756 . 16 April 2022 . The Gazette of India.
  15. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 1350 . 8 June 2019 . The Gazette of India.