Deepak Kapoor
Encyclopedia
General Deepak Kapoor PVSM
, AVSM
, SM
, VSM
, ADC (b. 1948) was the 25th Chief of Army Staff
of the Indian Army
, appointed on 30 September 2007 and Chairman, Chiefs of Staffs Committee(COSC) appointed on 31 August 2009.
He retired on 31 March 2010 and was succeeded by General V K Singh, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC.
on 11 June 1967. He is an alumnus of Sainik School, Kunjpura
, National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla (30th Course) and Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun. His career in the Indian Army spans four decades, during which he has held varied command and as well as staff appointments. A veteran of the 1971 Indo-Pak War in the eastern theatre (Bangladesh), he is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington and has completed the Higher Command Course at Army War College, Mhow (Madhya Pradesh) and NDC course at the National Defence College
(NDC) in New Delhi. He served as the Chief Operations Officer for UNOSOM II (United Nations Operation in Somalia II) during 1994-95 and was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal
(VSM) in January 1996.
General Kapoor was vice-chief of the Army before taking over as the Chief of Army Staff. He has also been the Northern Army Commander in the past.
General Kapoor commanded the 161 Infantry Brigade in Uri, Jammu & Kashmir which was actively involved in operations along the Line of Control
. For his performance he was awarded the Sena Medal
in January 1998. He commanded the 22nd Mountain Division as part of a Strike Corps during Operation Parakram in 2001-02. He was thereafter deeply involved in counter insurgency operations combating the insurgency in Assam
, as Chief of Staff of 4 Corps in Tezpur
. On promotion to Lieutenant General, he commanded 33 Corps at Siliguri
, West Bengal
. For his service as a Corps Commander, he was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
in January 2006. On elevation to the appointment of Army Commander, he commanded the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) in Shimla. Thereafter he moved to spearhead the Northern Command, the largest operational command in the Indian Army, deployed over varied terrain and was once again actively involved in COIN operations. For his performance, he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal
in January 2007.
General Kapoor has been appointed as the Honorary Aide-De-Camp to the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the President of India. He is also the senior Colonel Commandant of the Regiment of Artillery
.
, Mumbai
, which was built fraudulently on the land under "de-facto" possession of the army, for the intended purpose of the welfare of Kargil heroes and their widows. This news brought a lot of adverse publicity to the Indian Army
and dented its image. After this news was brought to public, Kapoor claimed that he cancelled his allotment for the flat.
in New Delhi
. He also holds a diploma in Business Management. He is married to Mrs. Kirti Kapoor and they have two children - a daughter and a son, both of whom are married.
Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Param Vishisht Seva Medal is a military award of India. It was constituted in 1960 and since then till 1980, it was awarded in recognition to peace-time service of most exceptional order.-External links:...
, AVSM
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal is a military award of India given to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the armed forces....
, SM
Sena Medal
This article is about the Sena Medal, an Indian Military decoration. 'SM' redirects here The Sena Medal is awarded to members of the Indian army, of all ranks, "for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army." Awards may be made...
, VSM
Vishisht Seva Medal
Vishisht Seva Medal is a decoration of the Indian Armed forces. It is awarded to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the Indian armed forces....
, ADC (b. 1948) was the 25th Chief of Army Staff
Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army
The Chief of the Army Staff is the commander and usually the highest-ranking officer of the Indian Army. The position is abbreviated as COAS in Indian Army cables and communication....
of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
, appointed on 30 September 2007 and Chairman, Chiefs of Staffs Committee(COSC) appointed on 31 August 2009.
He retired on 31 March 2010 and was succeeded by General V K Singh, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC.
Biography
Kapoor was commissioned into the Regiment of ArtilleryRegiment of Artillery
The Regiment of Artillery is an operational arm of the Indian Army. Formerly part of Royal Indian Artillery of British Indian Army which itself traces its origins to the formation of Bombay Artillery in 1827...
on 11 June 1967. He is an alumnus of Sainik School, Kunjpura
Sainik School, Kunjpura
Sainik School, Kunjpura is one of the first five Sainik Schools established by the 'Sainik Schools Society' in 1961 in India. The school comes under the control of state government and Ministry of Defence and was also the first Sainik School in the state of Haryana , and was set up prepare...
, National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla (30th Course) and Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun. His career in the Indian Army spans four decades, during which he has held varied command and as well as staff appointments. A veteran of the 1971 Indo-Pak War in the eastern theatre (Bangladesh), he is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington and has completed the Higher Command Course at Army War College, Mhow (Madhya Pradesh) and NDC course at the National Defence College
National Defence College, India
The National Defence College of India, located in New Delhi, is an institution of higher learning of the defence forces of India. The institution was inaugurated on 27 April 1960 and is the only military institution in the country that imparts knowledge on all aspects of national security and...
(NDC) in New Delhi. He served as the Chief Operations Officer for UNOSOM II (United Nations Operation in Somalia II) during 1994-95 and was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal
Vishisht Seva Medal
Vishisht Seva Medal is a decoration of the Indian Armed forces. It is awarded to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the Indian armed forces....
(VSM) in January 1996.
General Kapoor was vice-chief of the Army before taking over as the Chief of Army Staff. He has also been the Northern Army Commander in the past.
General Kapoor commanded the 161 Infantry Brigade in Uri, Jammu & Kashmir which was actively involved in operations along the Line of Control
Line of Control
The term Line of Control refers to the military control line between the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir—a line which, to this day, does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary but is the de facto border...
. For his performance he was awarded the Sena Medal
Sena Medal
This article is about the Sena Medal, an Indian Military decoration. 'SM' redirects here The Sena Medal is awarded to members of the Indian army, of all ranks, "for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army." Awards may be made...
in January 1998. He commanded the 22nd Mountain Division as part of a Strike Corps during Operation Parakram in 2001-02. He was thereafter deeply involved in counter insurgency operations combating the insurgency in Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, as Chief of Staff of 4 Corps in Tezpur
Tezpur
Tezpur is a city and the administrative headquarters and municipal board of Sonitpur district in the state of Assam in northeastern India. Tezpur is an ancient city on the banks of the river Brahmaputra and is the largest of the north bank towns with a population exceeding 100,000...
. On promotion to Lieutenant General, he commanded 33 Corps at Siliguri
Siliguri
Siliguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in the Siliguri Corridor or Chicken's Neck - a very narrow strip of land linking mainland India to its north-eastern states. It is also the transit point for air, road and rail traffic to the neighbouring countries of Nepal,...
, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. For his service as a Corps Commander, he was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal is a military award of India given to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the armed forces....
in January 2006. On elevation to the appointment of Army Commander, he commanded the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) in Shimla. Thereafter he moved to spearhead the Northern Command, the largest operational command in the Indian Army, deployed over varied terrain and was once again actively involved in COIN operations. For his performance, he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Param Vishisht Seva Medal is a military award of India. It was constituted in 1960 and since then till 1980, it was awarded in recognition to peace-time service of most exceptional order.-External links:...
in January 2007.
General Kapoor has been appointed as the Honorary Aide-De-Camp to the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the President of India. He is also the senior Colonel Commandant of the Regiment of Artillery
Regiment of Artillery
The Regiment of Artillery is an operational arm of the Indian Army. Formerly part of Royal Indian Artillery of British Indian Army which itself traces its origins to the formation of Bombay Artillery in 1827...
.
Controversies
In October 2010, it was alleged that Kapoor fraudulently acquired a flat in the now infamous Adarsh Housing Society in ColabaColaba
Colaba is a part of the city of Mumbai, India, and also a Lok Sabha constituency. During Portuguese rule in the 16th century, the island was known as Candil...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, which was built fraudulently on the land under "de-facto" possession of the army, for the intended purpose of the welfare of Kargil heroes and their widows. This news brought a lot of adverse publicity to the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
and dented its image. After this news was brought to public, Kapoor claimed that he cancelled his allotment for the flat.
Personal life
General Kapoor holds Master's Degrees in Political Science, Military Science and Business Administration, the latter which he completed at the Indira Gandhi National Open UniversityIndira Gandhi National Open University
The Indira Gandhi National Open University , known as IGNOU is a national university with its headquarters in New Delhi, Delhi, India. Named after former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, the university was established in 1985 with a budget of 2000 crore, when the Parliament of India passed...
in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. He also holds a diploma in Business Management. He is married to Mrs. Kirti Kapoor and they have two children - a daughter and a son, both of whom are married.
Major Decorations and Badges
- Param Vishisht Seva MedalParam Vishisht Seva MedalParam Vishisht Seva Medal is a military award of India. It was constituted in 1960 and since then till 1980, it was awarded in recognition to peace-time service of most exceptional order.-External links:...
- Ati Vishisht Seva MedalAti Vishisht Seva MedalAti Vishisht Seva Medal is a military award of India given to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the armed forces....
- Sena MedalSena MedalThis article is about the Sena Medal, an Indian Military decoration. 'SM' redirects here The Sena Medal is awarded to members of the Indian army, of all ranks, "for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army." Awards may be made...
- Vishisht Seva MedalVishisht Seva MedalVishisht Seva Medal is a decoration of the Indian Armed forces. It is awarded to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the Indian armed forces....
See also
- List of Chiefs of Army StaffChief of Army Staff of the Indian ArmyThe Chief of the Army Staff is the commander and usually the highest-ranking officer of the Indian Army. The position is abbreviated as COAS in Indian Army cables and communication....