Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Gurmit Singh (born 1 February 1956) is a former Deputy Chief of the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

. In 2021 he was appointed

Governor of Uttarakhand The governor of Uttarakhand is appointed by the president of India for a term of five years, and holds office at the president's pleasure. The governor is ''de jure'' head of the state government; all its executive actions are taken in the gov ...

. Singh retired on 31 January 2016 after nearly four decades in the army, where he was deputy chief of Army Staff, and adjutant general and corps commander of strategic XV Corps that overlooks the Line of Control in Kashmir. He has also worked in border issues and counter-terrorism.

Life and career

Personal life and education

Singh was born on 1 February 1956 in Jalal Usman,

Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...

, Punjab. His father served in the Indian Army and his elder brother served in Indian Air Force. He graduated from the Defence Services Staff Course and National Defence College, has two M.Phil degrees from Chennai and Indore universities, and was a research fellow for two years on the India-China Boundary issue at the Institute of Chinese Studies,

Jawaharlal Nehru University Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is a public major research university located in New Delhi, India. It was established in 1969 and named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. The university is known for leading faculties and r ...

during his study leave from the Indian Army.

Military career

After being an Infantry Company Commander, and Brigade Commander become Brigadier General of Army Staff, he became a Major General, Additional Director General of Military Operations and Deputy Chief of Army Staff. During his stint in the Army, he was a part of numerous expert groups, joint working groups, annual dialogues and China study group meetings for over a decade. He also served in Banbasa,

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

, while in the army.

Honours

Singh received four Presidential Awards and two commendations by the Chief of Army Staff while in the Army. He has also received the

Param Vishisht Seva Medal Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) (IAST: ) is a military award of India. It was constituted in 1960 and since then it is awarded in recognition to peace-time service of the most exceptional order and may be awarded posthumously. All ranks of the ...

Uttam Yudh Seva Medal Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM; ''Great War Service Medal'') is one of India's military decorations for Wartime Distinguished Service. It is awarded for a high degree of distinguished services in an operational context. "Operational context" includes ...

Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) is a military award of India given to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the armed forces. The award is a peacetime equivalent of Uttam Yuddh Seva Medal, which is a Wartime Dis ...

and

Vishisht Seva Medal The Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) is a decoration of the Indian Armed Forces. It is awarded to recognize "distinguished service of a high order" to all ranks of the Indian Armed Forces. From 1980, the Yudh Seva Medal was introduced to recognize excep ...

References

External links

* Living people Governors of Uttarakhand People from Bihar Indian Sikhs People from Punjab, India Indian Army officers Indian generals Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal Recipients of the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal Recipients of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Recipients of the Vishisht Seva Medal 1956 births Defence Services Staff College alumni {{India-mil-bio-stub