| Honorific Prefix: | Lieutenant General |
| Satinder Kumar Saini | |
| Honorific Suffix: | PVSM, AVSM, YSM, VSM, ADC |
| Office: | 41st Vice Chief of the Army Staff |
| Term Start: | 25 January 2020 |
| Term End: | 31 January 2021 |
| 1Blankname: | Chief of Army Staff |
| 1Namedata: | Manoj Mukund Naravane |
| Predecessor: | Manoj Mukund Naravane |
| Successor: | Chandi Prasad Mohanty |
| Office1: | General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Command |
| Term Start1: | 1 October 2018 |
| Term End1: | 24 January 2020 |
| Predecessor1: | Dewan Rabindranath Soni |
| Successor1: | Chandi Prasad Mohanty |
| Allegiance: |  India |
| Serviceyears: | June 1981 – January 2021 |
| Rank: | Lieutenant General |
| Unit: | 7 Jat |
| Commands: | Southern Command IX Corps Kilo Force Rashtriya Rifles 79(I) Mountain Brigade 7 Jat |
| Awards: | Param Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Yudh Seva Medal Vishisht Seva Medal |
Lieutenant General Satinder Kumar Saini, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, VSM, ADC was the 41st Vice Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army and assumed the office on 25 January 2020.[1] [2] He previously served as General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC-in-C) Southern Command.[3] [4]
Saini is from District Hoshiarpur in Punjab, an alumnus of Sainik School, Kapurthala, National Defence Academy, Pune; and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He has also attended the Army Command and Staff Course at Staff College, Camberley; Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham; and National Defence College, Dhaka. He has a total of three degrees in defence and strategic studies.[5]
Saini was commissioned into the 7th battalion, Jat Regiment in June 1981. His commands include 7 Jat, a Mountain Brigade in the Kashmir Valley, Counter Insurgency Force (Kilo) (part of the Rashtriya Rifles) and IX Corps. The general officer has also held numerous staff appointments including Brigade Major of an infantry brigade, General Staff Officer (Operations) of an infantry division, BGS of a Corps, Director of Military Operations at Army HQ; Director General, Manpower Planning and Personnel Services (MP&PS). He has held different instructor appointments including Senior Directing Staff at National Defence College, Weapons Instructor at National Security Guards Training Center and the Commandant of the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He was also The Colonel of the Jat Regiment.[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
Saini has served on international deputations as well including Deputy Chief Military Personnel Officer in the Iraq- Kuwait UN Mission; Global Peace Operations Initiative's peacekeeping exercise in Mongolia; a counter-terrorism exercise in Australia.
During the 38 years of his service, he has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (2020), the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (2018), the Yudh Seva Medal, the Vishisht Seva Medal, the Chief of Army Staff Commendation and the Army Commander Commendation for his service.[13]
| Param Vishisht Seva Medal | Ati Vishisht Seva Medal | Yudh Seva Medal | ||
| Vishisht Seva Medal | Samanya Seva Medal | Special Service Medal | Operation Vijay Medal | |
| Operation Parakram Medal | Sainya Seva Medal | Videsh Seva Medal | 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal | |
| 30 Years Long Service Medal | 20 Years Long Service Medal | 9 Years Long Service Medal | UNIKOM | |
| Insignia | Rank | Component | Date of rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 June 1981[14] | |||
| Indian Army | 13 June 1983[15] | ||
| Indian Army | 13 June 1986[16] | ||
| Indian Army | 13 June 1992[17] | ||
| Indian Army | 16 December 2004[18] | ||
| Indian Army | 1 October 2005[19] | ||
| Indian Army | 13 March 2009 (seniority from 4 June 2008)[20] | ||
| Indian Army | 25 October 2013 (seniority from 4 October 2011)[21] | ||
| Indian Army | 21 May 2016[22] | ||