Lieutenant General Nav Kumar Khanduri[1] 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.[2]


Nav Kumar Khanduri

Allegiance India
Service / branch Indian Army
Years of serviceDecember 1983 – June 2023
RankLieutenant-General
Service numberIC-41495M
Unit27 Air Defence Regiment
(Corps of Army Air Defence)
Commands Western Command
XXIII Corps
15 Infantry Division
Awards Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Vishisht Seva Medal
Alma materNational Defence Academy
Indian Military Academy
Defence Services Staff College

Biography

edit

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.[1][3] He commanded an air defence brigade in Operation Rakshak and a mountain brigade in Operation Falcon.[2][4] 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.[2] 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.[5] On 30 June 2023, he formally retired from the Army.[6]

Awards and decorations

edit

He was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in the 2016 Republic Day decorations list,[7] the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in the 2021 Republic Day decorations list and [8] the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2023.

       
       
       
       
Param Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Vishisht Seva Medal Special Service Medal
Operation Vijay Medal Operation Parakram Medal Sainya Seva Medal High Altitude Service Medal
Videsh Seva Medal 75th Anniversary of Independence Medal 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal 30 Years Long Service Medal
20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire UN Transitional Authority, Cambodia

Dates of rank

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

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 29 June 1985. p. 902.
  2. ^ a b c "Lt Gen Khanduri takes over as GOC-in-C, Western Command". The Tribune. 1 November 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Lt Gen Nav Khanduri takes charge as GOC-in-C of Western Command". 1 November 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  4. ^ "World Forest Day observed in Valley". 14 March 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Lt. Gen Nav K Khanduri assumes charge as commander of Trishakti Corps". ANI News. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Lt Gen Nav K Khanduri relinquishes command of Western Army". Hindustan Times. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  7. ^ "2016: List of Awardees". www.indianarmy.nic.in. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  8. ^ "2019: List of Awardees". www.indianarmy.nic.in. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 16 September 1989. p. 1398.
  10. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 15 April 1995. p. 569.
  11. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 15 October 2005. p. 1898.
  12. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 20 December 2008. p. 2181.
  13. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 22 March 2014. p. 432.
  14. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 16 April 2022. p. 756.
  15. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 8 June 2019. p. 1350.
Military offices
Preceded by General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command
1 November 2021–30 June 2023
Succeeded by
Preceded by General Officer Commanding XXXIII Corps
13 September 2019–13 September 2020
Succeeded by
Ajai Kumar Singh