Param Vir Chakra
Recipients
Table:
Name
Rank**
Unit
Date of action
Conflict
Place of action
Citations

Somnath Sharma
Major
Kumaon Regiment
3 November 1947*
Battle of Badgam
Badgam, J & K, India
[23][22][24]

Jadu Nath Singh
Naik
Rajput Regiment
6 February 1948*
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
Naushera, J & K, India
[22][24][25]

Rama Raghoba Rane
Second Lieutenant
Bombay Sappers
8 April 1948
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
Naushera, J & K, India
[22][24][26]

Piru Singh Shekhawat
Company Havildar Major
Rajputana Rifles
17 July 1948*
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
Tithwal, J & K, India
[22][24][27]

Karam Singh
Lance Naik
Sikh Regiment
13 October 1948
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
Tithwal, J & K, India
[22][24][28]

Gurbachan Singh Salaria
Captain
1 Gorkha Rifles[d]
5 December 1961*
Congo Crisis
Élisabethville, Katanga, Congo
[22][24][29]

Dhan Singh Thapa
Major
8 Gorkha Rifles
20 October 1962
Sino-Indian War
Ladakh, J & K, India
[22][24][30]

Joginder Singh Sahnan
Subedar
Sikh Regiment
23 October 1962*
Sino-Indian War
Tongpen La, NEFA, India
[22][24][31]

Shaitan Singh
Major
Kumaon Regiment
18 November 1962*
Sino-Indian War
Rezang La, J & K, India
[22][24][32]

Abdul Hamid
Company Quarter Master Havildar
The Grenadiers
10 September 1965*
Battle of Asal Uttar
Khemkaran, India
[22][24][33]

Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore
Lieutenant Colonel
Poona Horse
11 September 1965*
Battle of Chawinda
Phillora, Sialkot, Pakistan
[22][24][34]

Albert Ekka
Lance Naik
Brigade of the Guards
3 December 1971*
Battle of Hilli
Gangasagar, Agartala, India
[22][24][35]

Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon
Flying Officer
No. 18 Squadron IAF
14 December 1971*
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Srinagar, J & K, India
[22][24][36]

Arun Khetarpal
Second Lieutenant
Poona Horse
16 December 1971*
Battle of Basantar
Barapind-Jarpal, Shakargarh, Pakistan
[22][24][37]

Hoshiar Singh Dahiya
Major
The Grenadiers
17 December 1971
Battle of Basantar
Basantar River, Shakargarh, Pakistan
[22][24][38]

Bana Singh
Naib Subedar
Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry
23 May 1987
Operation Rajiv
Siachen Glacier, J & K, India
[22][24][39]

Ramaswamy Parameshwaran
Major
Mahar Regiment[e]
25 November 1987*
Operation Pawan
Sri Lanka
[22][24][40]

Manoj Kumar Pandey
Captain
11 Gorkha Rifles
3 July 1999*
Operation Vijay
Khaluber /Juber Top, J & K, India
[22][24]

Yogendra Singh Yadav
Grenadier
The Grenadiers
4 July 1999
Battle of Tiger Hill
Tiger Hill, J & K, India
[22][24]

Sanjay Kumar
Rifleman
Jammu & Kashmir Rifles
5 July 1999
Kargil War
Kargil, J & K, India
[22][24]

Based on the provided table as well as the textual context provided at the end.

Provide an answer to this question: Which battle took place in largest country in sub-Saharan Africa ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

Major Somnath Sharma , PVC ( 31 January 1923 - 3 November 1947 ) , of the Indian Army , was the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra ( PVC ) , India 's highest military decoration . Sharma was commissioned into the 8th Battalion , 19th Hyderabad Regiment , in 1942 . He served in Burma during the Arakan Campaign of World War II , for which he was mentioned in despatches . Fighting in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-1948 , Somnath Sharma was killed on 3 November 1947 while repulsing Pakistani infiltrators near Srinagar Airport ; for his gallantry and sacrifice in this battle of Badgam , he was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra .
Major is a military rank of commissioned officer status , with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world .
The Kumaon Regiment is the most decorated infantry regiment of the Indian Army . The regiment traces its origins to the 18th century and has fought in every major campaign of the British Indian Army and the Indian Army , including the two world wars .
The Battle of Badgam was a small defensive encounter which took place at Badgam in the Kashmir valley on 3 November 1947 between troops of the Indian Army whose strength was just ~50 and tribal raiders from Pakistan who were ~500 in number during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 . The small battle was decisive in that one company of 4th Battalion , Kumaon Regiment under Major Som Nath Sharma , who won a posthumous Param Vir Chakra , was decimated but by causing severe casualties on the advancing tribal lashkars halted their momentum , thus gaining time for additional Indian forces to fly in and save the Kashmir Valley from falling in the nick of time .
Budgam is a town and a notified area committee in Budgam district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir , India .
Jammu and Kashmir [ b ] is a region administered by India as a union territory , and constituting the southern portion of the larger Kashmir region , which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 , and between India and China since 1962 . The region of Jammu and Kashmir is separated by the Line of Control from the Pakistani-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the west and north respectively . It lies to the north of the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and to the west of Ladakh , which is also subject to the dispute as a part of Kashmir , and administered by India as a union territory . Provisions for the formation of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir were contained within the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act , 2019 , which was passed by both houses of the Parliament of India in August 2019 . The act re-constituted the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories , Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh , with effect from 31 October 2019 .
India ( Hindi : Bhārat ) , officially the Republic of India ( Hindi : Bhārat Gaṇarājya ) , is a country in South Asia . It is the seventh-largest country by area , the second-most populous country , and the most populous democracy in the world . Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south , the Arabian Sea on the southwest , and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast , it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west ; [ e ] China , Nepal , and Bhutan to the north ; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east . In the Indian Ocean , India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives ; its Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia . Modern humans arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa no later than 55,000 years ago . Their long occupation , initially in varying forms of isolation as hunter-gatherers , has made the region highly diverse , second only to Africa in human genetic diversity . Settled life emerged on the subcontinent in the western margins of the Indus river basin 9,000 years ago , evolving gradually into the Indus Valley Civilisation of the third millennium BCE . By 1200 BCE , an archaic form of Sanskrit , an Indo-European language , had diffused into India from the northwest , unfolding as the language of the Rigveda , and recording the dawning of Hinduism in India . The Dravidian languages of India were supplanted in the northern regions . By 400 BCE , stratification and exclusion by caste had emerged within Hinduism , and Buddhism and Jainism had arisen , proclaiming social orders unlinked to heredity . Early political consolidations gave rise to the loose-knit Maurya and Gupta Empires based in the Ganges Basin . Their collective era was suffused with wide-ranging creativity , but also marked by the declining status of women , and the incorporation of untouchability into an organised system of belief .
Naik Jadunath Singh , PVC ( 21 November 1916 - 6 February 1948 ) was an Indian Army soldier who was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra , India 's highest military decoration for his actions in an engagement during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 . Singh was enlisted in the British Indian Army in 1941 and served in the Second World War , fighting against the Japanese in Burma . He later took part in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 as a member of the Indian Army . For an action on 6 February 1948 at Tain Dhar , to the north of Naushahra , Naik Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra . Singh commanded a nine-man forward section post . Though heavily outnumbered by advancing Pakistani forces , Singh led his men in defending against three attempts to overtake the post . He was wounded during the second assault . Armed with a Sten gun , he single-handedly charged the third assault with such determination as to cause the attackers to withdraw . In doing so , he was killed . A sports stadium in Shahjahanpur and a crude oil tanker were named after Singh .
Naik ( Nk ; sometimes historically spelled nayak ) is the Indian Army and Pakistan Army rank equivalent to corporal . In Tamil , the word naik was used to indicate a lord or governor prior to its use as an equivalent to corporal in British India . The rank was previously used in the British Indian Army and the Camel Corps , ranking between lance naik and havildar . In cavalry units the equivalent is lance daffadar . Like a British corporal , a naik wears two rank chevrons .
The Rajput Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army . It is composed primarily of troops from the Rajput , Ahir , Brahmin , Bengali , Dogra , Gurjar , Jat , Muslim , and Sikh communities . During the Second World War , the class composition of the regiment was 50% Rajput and 50% Muslim .
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-1948 , sometimes known as the First Kashmir War , was fought between India and Pakistan over the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1947 to 1948 . It was the first of four Indo-Pakistan Wars fought between the two newly independent nations . Pakistan precipitated the war a few weeks after independence by launching tribal lashkar ( militia ) from Waziristan , in an effort to capture Kashmir , the future of which hung in the balance . The inconclusive result of the war still affects the geopolitics of both countries . The Maharaja faced an uprising by his Muslim subjects in Poonch , and lost control of the western districts of his kingdom . On 22 October 1947 , Pakistan 's Pashtun tribal militias crossed the border of the state . These local tribal militias and irregular Pakistani forces moved to take Srinagar , but on reaching Baramulla , they took to plunder and stalled . Maharaja Hari Singh made a plea to India for assistance , and help was offered , but it was subject to his signing an Instrument of Accession to India . The war was initially fought by the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces and by tribal militias from the Frontier Tribal Areas adjoining the North-West Frontier Province . Following the accession of the state to India on 26 October 1947 , Indian troops were airlifted to Srinagar , the state capital . The British commanding officers initially refused the entry of Pakistani troops into the conflict , citing the accession of the state to India . However , later in 1948 , they relented and the Pakistani armies entered the war after this .
Nowshera ( alternatively spelt Nowshehra and Naushera ) is a town and tehsil in the Rajauri district in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir . It is governed by a Municipal committee .
Major Rama Raghoba Rane , PVC ( 26 June 1918 - 11 July 1994 ) was an officer in the Indian Army . He was the first living recipient of the Param Vir Chakra , India 's highest military decoration . Born in 1918 , Rane served in the British Indian Army during the Second World War . He remained in the military during the post-war period and was commissioned in the Bombay Sappers Regiment of the Indian Army 's Corps of Engineers on 15 December 1947 . In April 1948 , during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 , Rane played a key role in the capture of Rajauri by Indian forces by being instrumental in clearing several roadblocks and minefields . His actions helped clear the way for advancing Indian tanks . He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra on 8 April 1948 for his gallantry . He retired as a major from the Indian Army in 1968 . During his 28 years ' service with the army , he was mentioned in despatches five times . He died in 1994 at the age of 76 .
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces , comparable to NATO OF-1a rank .
The Bombay Engineer Group , or the Bombay Sappers as they are informally known , are a regiment of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army . The Bombay Sappers draw their origin from the erstwhile Bombay Presidency army of the British Raj . The group has its centre in Khadki , Pune in Maharashtra state . The Bombay Sappers have gone on to win many honours and awards , both in battle and in peacetime , throughout the 19th and 20th centuries , both before and after Independence . The gallantry awards won include the British Victoria Cross and the French Legion of Honour before independence , as well as the Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra as part of Independent India . The Group has also made its mark in peacetime activities such as sport , adventure , disaster relief , aid to civil authority and prestigious construction projects .
Company Havildar Major [ a ] Piru Singh Shekhawat ( 20 May 1918 - 18 July 1948 ) was an Indian Army non-commissioned officer , awarded the Param Vir Chakra ( PVC ) , India 's highest military decoration 3245 . Singh enrolled in the British Indian Army on 20 May 1936 , and was assigned to the 1st Punjab Regiment . Between 1940 and 1945 , he served on the North-West Frontier and as an instructor , before deploying to Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force . After independence , he took part in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 , serving with the Indian Army 's 6th Rajputana Rifles . During the battle , Singh was part of the leading section of a company that was assigned to capture a Pakistani post at Tithwal , in Jammu and Kashmir . Soon after their attack was launched , the company suffered heavy casualties . In time , Singh successfully occupied a Pakistani medium machine-gun post . But , by that time , the entire company lay dead or wounded . Singh was left alone to achieve the objective . He moved out and lobbed grenades at the next enemy post . Before moving to another trench , he received a mortal bullet wound to the head .
A havildar or havaldar ( Hindustani : हविलदार ( Devanagari ) حوِلدار ( Perso-Arabic ) ) is a rank in the Indian and Pakistani armies , equivalent to a sergeant . It is not used in cavalry units , where the equivalent is daffadar . Like a British sergeant , a havildar wears three rank chevrons . Historically , a havildar was a senior commander , being in charge of a fort during the times of the Mughal Empire and later Maratha Empire . It was used as the equivalent of a sergeant in the British Raj , which has led to its current usage . Havildar is a Persian word in origin and means person in charge , or more loosely chief , from the Arabic حواله ( charge , responsibility ) and the Persian دار ( dâr , holder ) .
The Rajputana Rifles is the oldest rifle regiment and one of the senior-most regiment of the Indian Army . It was originally raised in 1921 as part of the British Indian Army , when six previously existing regiments were amalgamated to form six battalions of the 6th Rajputana Rifles . In 1945 the numeral designation was dropped from the title and in 1947 the regiment was transferred to the newly independent Indian Army . Since independence , the regiment has been involved in a number of conflicts against Pakistan , as well as contributing to the Custodian Force ( India ) in Korea under the aegis of the United Nations in 1953-54 and to the UN Mission to the Congo in 1962 . As a rifle regiment it uses a bugle horn as its insignia , the same as the British Light Division , but unlike its British counterparts , the Rajputana Rifles march at the same march pace used in the Indian Army as a whole .
The term Line of Control ( LoC ) 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 does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary , but serves as the de facto border . Originally known as the Cease-fire Line , it was redesignated as the Line of Control following the Simla Agreement , which was signed on 3 July 1972 . The part of the former princely state that is under Indian control is known as the state of Jammu and Kashmir . The Pakistani-controlled part is divided into Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan . The northernmost point of the Line of Control is known as NJ9842 . The India-Pakistan border continues from the southernmost point on the LoC . Another ceasefire line separates the Indian-controlled state of Jammu and Kashmir from the Chinese-controlled area known as Aksai Chin . Lying further to the east , it is known as the Line of Actual Control ( LAC ) . Former US President Bill Clinton has referred to the Indian subcontinent and the Kashmir Line of Control , in particular , as one of the most dangerous places in the world . [ needs update ]
Subedar and Honorary Captain Karam Singh PVC , MM ( 15 September 1915 - 20 January 1993 ) , an Indian soldier , was the first living recipient of the Param Vir Chakra ( PVC ) , India 's highest award for gallantry . Singh joined the army in 1941 , and took part in the Burma Campaign of World War II , receiving the Military Medal for his actions during the Battle of the Admin Box in 1944 . He also fought in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 , and was awarded the PVC for his role in saving a forward post at Richhmar Gali , south of Tithwal . He was also one of the five soldiers chosen to raise the Indian flag for the first time after independence in 1947 . Singh later rose to the rank of subedar , and was conferred the rank of honorary captain before his retirement in September 1969 .
Lance naik ( L/Nk ) is the equivalent rank to lance corporal in the Pakistan , Bangladesh and Indian Armies and before 1947 , in the British Indian Army , ranking below naik . In cavalry units the equivalent is acting lance daffadar . Like British lance corporals , each wears a single rank chevron .
The Sikh Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army that recruits from the Sikh community . It is the most decorated regiment of the Indian Army and in 1979 , the 1st battalion was the Commonwealth 's most decorated battalion with 245 pre-independence and 82 post-independence gallantry awards , when it was transformed into the 4th battalion , Mechanised Infantry Regiment . The first battalion of the regiment was officially raised just before the annexation of the Sikh Empire on August 1 1846 , by the British East India Company . Currently , the Sikh Regimental Centre is located in Ramgarh Cantonment , Jharkhand . The Centre was earlier located in Meerut , Uttar Pradesh . The modern Sikh Regiment traces its roots directly from the 11th Sikh Regiment of the British Indian Army . When transferred to the Indian Army like its sister regiments , the numeral prefix ( in the case of the Sikh Regiment , 11 ) was removed and extra battalions were raised , transferred or disbanded to meet army needs . With a humble beginning of two battalions , today the fraternity has grown to a regiment of 19 regular infantry and two reserve battalions strong .
Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria , PVC ( 29 November 1935 - 5 December 1961 ) was an Indian Army officer and member of a United Nations peacekeeping force . Singh was an alumnus of Rashtriya Military School Bangalore ( King George 's Royal Indian Military College ) and the National Defence Academy . He was the first NDA alumnus and is the only UN Peacekeeper to be awarded a Param Vir Chakra ( PVC ) , India 's highest wartime military decoration . In December 1961 , Salaria was among the Indian troops deployed to the Republic of the Congo as part of the United Nations Operation in the Congo . On 5 December , Salaria 's battalion was tasked to clear a roadblock of two armoured cars manned by 150 gendarmes of the secessionist State of Katanga on the way to the Elizabethville Airport . The plan was that Salaria and his men were to block their retreat . His rocket launcher team attacked and destroyed the Katangese armoured cars . This unforeseen move confused the gendarmerie , and Salaria felt it would be best to attack before they reorganised . Though his troops were badly outnumbered , they charged towards the Katangese and killed 40 men in a kukri assault . During the attack , Salaria was shot twice in the neck and eventually succumbed to his injuries . The remaining gendarmes fled in utter confusion leaving their dead and wounded behind . This helped the main battalion to easily overrun the Katangese and clear the roadblock .
The army rank of captain ( from the French capitaine ) is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to the command of a company of soldiers . The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces . Today , a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery ( or United States Army cavalry troop or Commonwealth squadron ) . In the Chinese People 's Liberation Army , a captain may also command a company , or be the second-in-command of a battalion . In NATO countries , the rank of captain is described by the code OF-2 and is one rank above an OF-1 ( lieutenant or first lieutenant ) and one below an OF-3 ( major or commandant ) . The rank of captain is generally considered [ by whom ? ] to be the highest rank a soldier can achieve while remaining in the field . In some militaries , such as United States Army and Air Force and the British Army , captain is the entry-level rank for officer candidates possessing a professional degree , namely , most medical professionals ( doctors , pharmacists , dentists ) and lawyers . In the U.S. Army , lawyers who are not already officers at captain rank or above enter as lieutenants during training , and are promoted to the rank of captain after completion of their training if they are in the active component , or after a certain amount of time , usually one year from their date of commission as a lieutenant , for the reserve components . The rank of captain should not be confused with the naval rank of captain or with the UK-influenced air force rank of group captain , both of which are equivalent to the army rank of colonel .
1st Gorkha Rifles ( The Malaun Regiment ) , often referred to as the 1st Gorkha Rifles , or 1 GR in abbreviation , is the seniormost Gorkha infantry regiment of the Indian Army . It was originally formed as part of the East India Company 's Bengal Army in 1815 , later adopting the title of the 1st King George V 's Own Gurkha Rifles ( The Malaun Regiment ) , however , in 1947 , following the partition of India , it was transferred to the Indian Army and in 1950 when India became a Republic , it was redesignated as 1st Gorkha Rifles ( The Malaun Regiment ) . The regiment has a long history and has participated in many conflicts , including many of the colonial conflicts prior to Indian independence , as well as the First and Second World Wars . Since 1947 the regiment has also participated in a number of campaigns against Pakistan in 1965 and 1971 as well as undertaking peacekeeping duties as part of the United Nations .
The Congo Crisis ( French : Crise congolaise ) was a period of political upheaval and conflict in the Republic of the Congo ( today the Democratic Republic of the Congo ) [ c ] between 1960 and 1965 . The crisis began almost immediately after the Congo became independent from Belgium and ended , unofficially , with the entire country under the rule of Joseph-Désiré Mobutu . Constituting a series of civil wars , the Congo Crisis was also a proxy conflict in the Cold War , in which the Soviet Union and the United States supported opposing factions . Around 100,000 people are believed to have been killed during the crisis . A nationalist movement in the Belgian Congo demanded the end of colonial rule : this led to the country 's independence on 30 June 1960 . Minimal preparations had been made and many issues , such as federalism , tribalism , and ethnic nationalism , remained unresolved . In the first week of July , a mutiny broke out in the army and violence erupted between black and white civilians . Belgium sent troops to protect fleeing whites . Katanga and South Kasai seceded with Belgian support . Amid continuing unrest and violence , the United Nations deployed peacekeepers , but UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld refused to use these troops to help the central government in Léopoldville fight the secessionists . Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba , the charismatic leader of the largest nationalist faction , reacted by calling for assistance from the Soviet Union , which promptly sent military advisers and other support . The involvement of the Soviets split the Congolese government and led to an impasse between Lumumba and President Joseph Kasa-Vubu .
Lubumbashi ( former names : Élisabethville ( French ) and Elisabethstad ( help·info ) ( Dutch ) ) is a city in the southeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is the second-largest in the country , the largest being the capital , Kinshasa . Lubumbashi is the mining capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , acting as a hub for many of the country 's biggest mining companies . The copper-mining city serves as the capital of the relatively prosperous Haut-Katanga Province and is near the border with Zambia . Population estimates vary widely but average around 1.5 million .
Katanga was one of the eleven provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 1966 and 2015 , when it was split into the Tanganyika , Haut-Lomami , Lualaba and Haut-Katanga provinces . Between 1971 and 1997 ( during the rule of Mobutu Sese Seko when Congo was known as Zaïre ) , its official name was Shaba Province . Katanga 's area encompassed 497,000 square kilometres ( 49,700,000 ha ) . Farming and ranching are carried out on the Katanga Plateau . The eastern part of the province is considered to be a rich mining region , which supplies cobalt , copper , tin , radium , uranium , and diamonds . The region 's former capital , Lubumbashi , is the second-largest city in the Congo .
The Democratic Republic of the Congo ( pronunciation ( help·info ) French : République démocratique du Congo [ kɔ̃ɡo ] ) , also known as DR Congo , the DRC , DROC , Congo-Kinshasa , or simply the Congo , is a country located in Central Africa . It was formerly called Zaire ( 1971-1997 ) . It is , by area , the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa , the second-largest in all of Africa ( after Algeria ) , and the 11th-largest in the world . With a population of over 84 million , the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populous officially Francophone country , the fourth-most-populous country in Africa , and the 16th-most-populous country in the world . Eastern DR Congo has been the scene of ongoing military conflict in Kivu , since 2015 . Centred on the Congo Basin , the territory of the DRC was first inhabited by Central African foragers around 90,000 years ago and was reached by the Bantu expansion about 3,000 years ago . In the west , the Kingdom of Kongo ruled around the mouth of the Congo River from the 14th to 19th centuries . In the centre and east , the kingdoms of Luba and Lunda ruled from the 16th and 17th centuries to the 19th century . In the 1870s , just before the onset of the Scramble for Africa , European exploration of the Congo Basin was carried out , first led by Henry Morton Stanley under the sponsorship of Leopold II of Belgium . Leopold formally acquired rights to the Congo territory at the Berlin Conference in 1885 and made the land his private property , naming it the Congo Free State . During the Free State , his colonial military unit , the Force Publique , forced the local population to produce rubber . From 1885 to 1908 , millions of the Kongo people died as a consequence of disease and exploitation .
Lieutenant Colonel Dhan Singh Thapa , PVC ( 10 April 1928 - 5 September 2005 ) was an Indian Army officer , and recipient of the Param Vir Chakra , India 's highest military decoration . Thapa was commissioned into the 1st Battalion , 8 Gorkha Rifles in 1949 . The Sino-Indian War began in October 1962 ; on 21 October , the Chinese advanced to north of Pangong Lake with the objective of capturing Sirijap and Yula . Srijap 1 was a post established on the northern bank of Pangong Lake by the 1st Battalion of 8 Gorkha Rifles and commanded by Major Dhan Singh Thapa . Soon the post was surrounded by greatly superior Chinese forces . Major Thapa and his men held the post and repelled three attacks before eventually being overrun . The survivors , including Thapa , were taken as prisoners of war . For his gallant actions and his efforts to motivate his men under fire he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra . Thapa was released from captivity after the war ended . Following retirement from the Army , he worked for a brief period with Sahara Airlines . He died on 5 September 2005 .
The 8th Gorkha Rifles is a Gorkha regiment of the Indian Army . It was raised in 1824 as part of the British East India Company and later transferred to the British Indian Army after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 . The regiment served in World War I and World War II , before being one of the six ( of ten ) Gurkha regiments transferred to the Indian Army after independence in 1947 . Since then it has served in a number of conflicts including the Sino-Indian War of 1962 and the Indo-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971 . Today the 8th Gorkha Rifles is one of the most celebrated regiments of the Indian Army , having received numerous citations for bravery in the field of battle , and even producing one of the two field marshals , Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw , of the Indian Army .
The Sino-Indian War , also known as the Indo-China War and Sino-Indian Border Conflict , was a war between China and India that occurred in 1962 . A disputed Himalayan border was the main pretext for war , but other issues played a role . There had been a series of violent border incidents after the 1959 Tibetan uprising , when India had granted asylum to the Dalai Lama . India initiated a Forward Policy in which it placed outposts along the border , including several north of the McMahon Line , the eastern portion of the Line of Actual Control proclaimed by Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in 1959 . Unable to reach political accommodation on disputed territory along the 3,225 kilometre- ( 2,000 mile- ) long Himalayan border , the Chinese launched simultaneous offensives in Ladakh and across the McMahon Line on 20 October 1962 . Chinese troops advanced over Indian forces in both theatres , capturing Rezang La in Chushul in the western theatre , as well as Tawang in the eastern theatre . The war ended when China declared a ceasefire on 20 November 1962 , and simultaneously announced its withdrawal to its claimed 'line of actual control ' . Much of the battle took place in harsh mountain conditions , entailing large-scale combat at altitudes of over 4,000 metres ( 14,000 feet ) . The Sino-Indian War was also noted for the non-deployment of the air force by either the Chinese or Indian side . The buildup and offensive from China occurred concurrently with the 13-day Cuban Missile Crisis ( 16-28 October 1962 ) that saw the United States and the Soviet Union confronting each other , and India did not receive assistance from either of these world powers until the Cuban Missile Crisis was resolved . It was the first war between India and China . Following the end of the war , a number of small clashes broke out between both sides , but no large-scale fighting ensued .
Ladakh ( /ləˈdɑːk/ ) is a region administered by India as a union territory , and constituting a part of the larger region of Kashmir , which has been the subject of dispute between India , Pakistan , and China since 1947 . It is bordered by Tibet to the east , the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south , Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan to the west , and the southwest corner of Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass in the far north . It extends from the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram range to the north to the main Great Himalayas to the south . The eastern end of Ladakh , consisting of the uninhabited Aksai Chin plains , has been under Chinese control since 1962 . Until 2019 , Ladakh was a region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir . In August 2019 , the Parliament of India passed an act by which Ladakh became a union territory on 31 October 2019 . In the past Ladakh gained importance from its strategic location at the crossroads of important trade routes , but since the Chinese authorities closed the borders with Tibet and Central Asia in the 1960s , international trade has dwindled except for tourism . Since 1974 , the Government of India has successfully encouraged tourism in Ladakh . Since Ladakh is a part of the strategically important Kashmir region , the Indian military maintains a strong presence in the region . The largest town in Ladakh is Leh , followed by Kargil , each of which headquarters a district . The Leh district contains the Indus , Shyok and Nubra river valleys . The Kargil district contains the Suru , Dras and Zanskar river valleys .
Subedar Joginder Singh Sahnan , PVC ( 28 September 1921 - 23 October 1962 ) , was an Indian Army soldier who posthumously received India 's highest military gallantry award , the Param Vir Chakra . Singh joined the British Indian Army in 1936 , and served in the 1st battalion of the Sikh Regiment . During the 1962 Sino-Indian War , he was commanding a platoon at the Bum La Pass in the North-East Frontier Agency . Though heavily outnumbered , he led his troops against a Chinese assault and defended his post until he was wounded and captured . Singh died from his injuries while in Chinese custody .
Subedar ( Urdu : صوبیدار ) is a historical civil or military rank originally relating to a senior official of the Mughal Empire who governed an assigned Subah ( province ) . Under the British Raj , subedar was the designation accorded to an Indian military officer of a rank equivalent to that of captain . Today the rank is maintained by the Indian Army and Pakistani Army . In the Nepalese Army , a subedar is a warrant officer .
The North-East Frontier Agency ( NEFA ) ( formerly the North-East Frontier Tracts ) was one of the political divisions in British India and later the Republic of India until 20 January 1972 , when it became the Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh . Its administrative headquarters was Shillong ( until 1974 , when it was transferred to Itanagar ) . It received the status of State on 20 February 1987 .
Major Shaitan Singh Bhati , PVC ( 1 December 1924 - 18 November 1962 ) was an Indian Army officer and recipient of the Param Vir Chakra , India 's highest military decoration . Singh was born in Rajasthan . On completing his graduation , Singh joined the Jodhpur State Forces . He was transferred to the Kumaon Regiment after the princely state of Jodhpur was merged into India . He took part in operations in the Naga Hills and also in the 1961 Indian annexation of Goa . During the 1962 Sino-Indian War , 13th Battalion of Kumaon Regiment was stationed in the Chushul sector . C Company , under the command of Singh , was holding a position at Rezang La . In the morning hours of 18 November 1962 , the Chinese attacked . After several unsuccessful attacks from the front , the Chinese attacked from the rear . The Indians fought until their last rounds , before eventually being overpowered by the Chinese . During the battle , Singh continuously moved from post to post reorganizing the defences and boosting the morale of his men . As he moved between the posts without any cover , he was seriously wounded , and later succumbed to his injuries .
Rezang La is a mountain pass on the south-eastern approach to Chushul Valley in Ladakh , in the union territory of Ladakh in India . It is 3,000 yards long and 2,000 yards wide , with an average height of 16,000 feet . La means a mountain pass in Tibetan language . This place is famous for Indian Army who fought to the 'last man , last round ' at Rezang La ( Chushul ) ( also known as Ahir Dham ) on November 18 , 1962 . Without this crucial victory , the territory might have been captured by China .
Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid , PVC ( 1 July 1933 - 10 September 1965 ) , was an Indian Army soldier who posthumously received India 's highest military decoration , the Param Vir Chakra , for his actions during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 . Hamid joined the army in December 1954 , and was posted to the 4th Battalion of the Grenadiers regiment . During the Sino-Indian War , his battalion participated in the battle of Namka Chu against the People 's Liberation Army . During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 , the 4 Grenadiers battalion was entrusted with a vital position before the village of Chima on the Khem Karan-Bhikhiwind line . At the Battle of Asal Uttar on 9-10 September 1965 , Hamid destroyed six Pakistani tanks and was killed during an engagement with a seventh .
The Grenadiers is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army , formerly part of the Bombay Army and later the pre-independence British Indian Army , when the regiment was known as the 4th Bombay Grenadiers . It has distinguished itself during the two world wars and also since the Independence of India . The regiment has won many battle honours and gallantry awards , and is considered to be one of India 's most decorated regiments with three Param Vir Chakra awardees in three different conflicts .
The Battle of Asal Uttar ( Hindi : आसल उत्ताड़ असल उत्तर नहीं , [ a ] Punjabi : ਆਸਲ ਉਤਾੜ ) was one of the largest tank battles fought during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 . It was fought from 8 to 10 September 1965 , when the Pakistan Army thrust its tanks and infantry into Indian territory , capturing the Indian town of Khem Karan 5 km from the International Border . The Indian troops retaliated , and after three days of bitter fighting , the battle ended with the Pakistani forces being repulsed near Asal Uttar . Factors that contributed to this were the fierce fight put up by the Indian army , conditions of the plains , better Indian tactics and a successful Indian strategy . This battle is compared with the Battle of Kursk in the Second World War for how it changed the course of the India Pakistan war of 1965 in India 's favour . War historians , including Dr. Philip Towle , regard the Indian resistance near Khem Karan as one of the key turning points of the war , one which tilted the balance of the war in favour of India . Peter Wilson states that the defeat of Pakistan Army in the battle of Asal Uttar was one of the greatest defeats suffered by Pakistan forces in the course of the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965 .
Khem Karan is a town and a nagar panchayat in Tarn Taran district of Patti tehsil of the Majha region of Indian state of Punjab . It was the site of a major tank battle in 1965 . The Battle of Asal Uttar was the largest tank battle of the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War . The battle led to the creation of Patton Nagar ( or Patton City/Graveyard ) at the site of the battle viz , Khem Karan .
Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore , PVC ( 19 August 1923 - 16 September 1965 ) , was an officer in the Indian Army and a recipient of the Param Vir Chakra , India 's highest award for bravery . After completing his schooling in Pune , Tarapore joined the Hyderabad Army , and was commissioned in January 1942 . Initially he joined the infantry , but was later transferred to an armoured regiment , the 1st Hyderabad Imperial Service Lancers . During World War II Tarapore saw action in the Middle East . After Hyderabad State was annexed by India in 1948 , Tarapore was selected to join the Indian Army . He was commissioned again in April 1951 , and was posted to the Poona Horse regiment , 17th Battalion . Later he attended a training course in the United Kingdom on the Centurion tank . During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 , 17 Horse saw action in the Sialkot sector . Tarapore led the regiment in several tank battles between 11 and 16 September , and was killed in one such battle at Butur-Dograndi on 16 September . Under his leadership the regiment destroyed sixty Pakistani tanks , while the Indians suffered the loss of nine .
Lieutenant colonel ( pronounced Lef-ten-ent Kernel ( UK & Commonwealth ) or Loo-ten-ent Kernel ( US ) ) is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies , most marine forces and some air forces of the world , above a major and below a colonel . The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply colonel in conversation and in unofficial correspondence . Sometimes , the term 'half-colonel ' is used in casual conversation in the British Army . A lieutenant colonel is typically in charge of a battalion or regiment in the army .
The Poona Horse is an armoured regiment in the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army . The regiment , known before independence as The Poona Horse ( 17th Queen Victoria 's Own Cavalry ) , was raised as a regular cavalry regiment in the Bombay Presidency army of the East India Company . It was formed from the 3rd Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry , raised in 1820 , and the Poona Auxiliary Horse , raised about 1817-18 . The latter unit was absorbed into the regular forces about 1860 and the two regiments later became the 33rd Queen Victoria 's Own Light Cavalry and the 34th Prince Albert Victor 's Own Poona Horse . These were amalgamated in 1921 into the present regiment , the battle honours of which tell of service in three Afghan wars , in Persia , Abyssinia and China , as well as in the Great War . The regiment has fought with distinction in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani wars , with an officer winning India 's highest gallantry award , the Param Vir Chakra , in each war .
The Battle of Chawinda was a part of the Sialkot Campaign in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 . It was one of the largest tank battles in history since the Battle of Kursk in World War II . The initial clashes at Chawinda coincided with the tank battle near Phillora and the fighting intensified once the Pakistani forces at Phillora retreated . The battle finally ended due to the UN ceasefire of the 1965 war .
Sialkot ( Urdu and Punjabi : سيالكوٹ ) is a city in Punjab , Pakistan . Sialkot is Pakistan 's 13th largest city and located 9 km from Ghuinke , and is located in north-east Punjab - one of Pakistan 's most industrialised regions . Along with the nearby cities of Gujranwala and Gujrat , Sialkot forms part of the so-called Golden Triangle of industrial cities with export-oriented economies . Sialkot is believed to be site of ancient Sagala , a city razed by Alexander the Great in 326 BCE , and then made capital of the Indo-Greek kingdom by Menander I in the 2nd century BCE - a time during which the city greatly prospered as a major centre for trade and Buddhist thought . Sialkot continued to be a major political centre , until it was eclipsed by Lahore around the turn of the first millennium . The city rose again in prominence during the British era , and is now one of Pakistan 's most important industrial centres . Sialkot is wealthy relative to other cities in South Asia , with an estimated 2014 per capita income of $ 2800 ( nominal ) . The city has been noted by The Economist for its entrepreneurial spirit , and productive business climate that have made Sialkot an example of a small Pakistani city that has emerged as a world-class manufacturing hub . The relatively small city exported approximately $ 2 billion worth of goods in 2015 , or about 10% of Pakistan 's total exports . Sialkot is also home to the Sialkot International Airport - Pakistan 's first privately owned public airport .
Pakistan , [ b ] officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan , [ c ] is a country in South Asia . It is the world 's sixth-most populous country with a population exceeding 207.8 million . In area , it is the 33rd-largest country , spanning 881,913 square kilometres ( 340,509 square miles ) . Pakistan has a 1,046-kilometre ( 650-mile ) coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by India to the east , Afghanistan to the west , Iran to the southwest , and China in the northeast . It is separated narrowly from Tajikistan by Afghanistan 's Wakhan Corridor in the northwest , and also shares a maritime border with Oman . The territory that now constitutes Pakistan was the site of several ancient cultures and intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent . The ancient history involves the Neolithic site of Mehrgarh and the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilisation , and was later home to kingdoms ruled by people of different faiths and cultures , including Hindus , Indo-Greeks , Muslims , Turco-Mongols , Afghans and Sikhs . The area has been ruled by numerous empires and dynasties , including the Persian Achaemenid Empire , Alexander III of Macedon , the Seleucid Empire , the Indian Maurya Empire , the Gupta Empire , the Arab Umayyad Caliphate , the Delhi Sultanate , the Mongol Empire , the Mughal Empire , the Afghan Durrani Empire , the Sikh Empire ( partially ) and , most recently , the British Indian Empire . Pakistan is the only country to have been created in the name of Islam . It is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country , with similarly diverse geography and wildlife . Initially a dominion , Pakistan adopted a constitution in 1956 , becoming an Islamic republic . An ethnic civil war and Indian military intervention in 1971 resulted in the secession of East Pakistan as the new country of Bangladesh .
Lance Naik Albert Ekka , PVC ( 27 December 1942 - 3 December 1971 ) was a soldier in the Indian Army . He was martyred in action in the battle of Hilli , during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 . He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra , India 's highest award for valour in the face of the enemy .
The Brigade of The Guards ( Hindi : ब्रिगेड ऑफ़ द गार्ड्स/गार्ड ब्रिगेड ( Pahla Hamesha Pahla ) ) is a mechanised infantry regiment of the Indian Army . It was raised as the first all India , all class infantry regiment of the Army where troops from all parts of India serve together , as opposed to other regiments that recruit from specific regions , ethnic groups or religions . The Brigade of The Guards distinguished itself by being awarded the most number of battle honours after Indian independence . The regiment was the brain-child of Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa , who was the first Indian commander-in-chief ( C-in-C ) of the Indian Army . He raised the Brigade of the Guards and coined the phrase ; The Guards , The Elite . The President of India is the Honorary Colonel-in-Chief and the Chief of Army Staff is the Colonel-in-Chief of The Guards . The Guards Regimental Centre is at Kamptee in Maharashtra . The Brigade of The Guards was the senior most line infantry regiment of the Indian Army before its selection and conversion to the mechanised infantry role . It now holds the title of the senior most infantry regiment in an honorary/ceremonial capacity . Together with the Mechanised Infantry Regiment , they form part of the 'Mechanised Infantry ' arm , part of the Mechanised Forces ( along with the Armoured Corps ) .
The Battle of Hilli or the Battle of Bogura was a major battle fought in the Bangladesh Liberation War . It is generally regarded as the most severe pitched battle that took place in East Pakistan , now Bangladesh . The battle of Hilli took place between 23 November 1971 and 11 December 1971 , although the final surrender took place on 18 December 1971 .
Sagar Island is an island in the Ganges delta , lying on the Continental Shelf of Bay of Bengal about 100 km ( 54 nautical miles ) south of Kolkata . This island forms the Sagar CD Block in Kakdwip subdivision of South 24 Parganas district in the Indian State of West Bengal . Although Sagar Island is a part of Sundarbans , it does not have any tiger habitation or mangrove forests or small river tributaries as is characteristic of the overall Sundarban delta . This island , also known as Gangasagar or Sagardwip , is a place of Hindu pilgrimage . Every year on the day of Makar Sankranti ( 14 January ) , hundreds of thousands of Hindus gather to take a holy dip at the confluence of river Ganges and Bay of Bengal and offer prayers ( puja ) in the Kapil Muni Temple . Kolkata Port Trust has a pilot station and a light house .
Agartala is the capital city of the Indian state of Tripura , and is the second-largest city in northeast India after Guwahati . The city is governed by the Agartala Municipal Corporation . The city is the seat of the Government of Tripura . It is located on the banks of the Haora River , near the Bangladesh border , about 90 kilometres ( 55 mi ) east of Bangladesh 's capital Dhaka . Agartala is being developed under the Smart Cities Mission , a flagship scheme of the Government of India . Agartala is India 's third international internet gateway after the ones in Mumbai and Chennai .
Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon , PVC ( 17 July 1943 - 14 December 1971 ) was an officer of the Indian Air Force . He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra , India 's highest military decoration during war time , in recognition of his lone defence of Srinagar Air Base against a PAF air raid during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 . He is the only member of the Indian Air Force to be so honoured .
Flying officer ( Fg Off in the RAF and IAF ; FLGOFF in the RAAF ; FGOFF in the RNZAF ; formerly F/O in all services and still frequently in the RAF ) is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence . It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure . In these cases a flying officer usually ranks above pilot officer and immediately below flight lieutenant . It has a NATO ranking code of OF-1 and is equivalent to a lieutenant in the British Army or the Royal Marines . However , it is superior to the nearest equivalent rank of sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy . [ failed verification ] The equivalent rank in the Women 's Auxiliary Air Force was section officer .
No . 18 Squadron ( Flying Bullets ) , was a ground-attack unit of the Indian Air Force , flying from Kalaikunda Air Force Station . The squadron flew the Indian license-built Mikoyan MiG-27ML until the aircraft was withdrawn from Indian service in April 2016 .
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the liberation war in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 to the fall of Dacca ( Dhaka ) on 16 December 1971 . The war began with preemptive aerial strikes on 11 Indian air stations , which led to the commencement of hostilities with Pakistan and Indian entry into the war of independence in East Pakistan on the side of Bengali nationalist forces . Lasting just 13 days , it is one of the shortest wars in history . During the war , Indian and Pakistani militaries simultaneously clashed on the eastern and western fronts ; the war ended after the Eastern Command of the Pakistan military signed the Instrument of Surrender on 16 December 1971 in Dhaka , marking the formation of East Pakistan as the new nation of Bangladesh . Officially , East Pakistan had earlier called for its secession from the unity of Pakistan on 26 March 1971 . Approximately 90,000 to 93,000 Pakistani servicemen were taken prisoner by the Indian Army , which included 79,676 to 81,000 uniformed personnel of the Pakistan Armed Forces , including some Bengali soldiers who had remained loyal to Pakistan . The remaining 10,324 to 12,500 prisoners were civilians , either family members of the military personnel or collaborators ( razakars ) . It is estimated that between 300,000 and 3,000,000 civilians were killed in Bangladesh . As a result of the conflict , a further eight to ten million people fled the country to seek refuge in India . During the 1971 Bangladesh war for independence , members of the Pakistani military and supporting Islamist militias called the Razakars raped between 200,000 and 400,000 Bangladeshi women and girls in a systematic campaign of genocidal rape .
Srinagar ( /ˈsriːnəɡər/ ( listen ) ) is the largest city and the summer capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir . It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River , a tributary of the Indus , and Dal and Anchar lakes . The city is known for its natural environment , gardens , waterfronts and houseboats . It is also known for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts and dried fruits . It is the northernmost city of India with over one million people .
Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal , PVC ( 14 October 1950 - 16 December 1971 ) born in Pune , Maharashtra , was an officer of the Indian Army and a posthumous recipient of the Param Vir Chakra , India 's highest military decoration for valour in face of the enemy . He was killed in action in the Battle of Basantar in the Battlefield of Shakargarh during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 where his actions earned him his honour .
The Battle of Basantar or the Battle of Barapind ( December 4-16 , 1971 ) was one of the vital battles fought as part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 in the western sector of India . The Indian troops won a hard-fought battle that secured this area in the Punjab/Jammu sector . The name Battle of Basantar actually encompasses the entire gamut of battles and skirmishes fought in the Shakargarh sector .
Shakargarh ( Urdu : شکَرگڑھ ) , the capital of Shakargarh Tehsil , is a city in the north-east of Narowal District , Punjab , Pakistan . It borders Jammu to the north and Sialkot to the west Its literacy rate is more than 85% which is the highest litracy rate tehsil wise . The city is located at 32°16'0N 75°10'0E and is situated at the west bank of the Ravi River . The tehsil is administratively subdivided into 35 Union Councils , three of which form the tehsil capital Shakargarh .
Colonel Hoshiar Singh Dahiya , PVC ( 5 May 1937 - 6 December 1998 ) was an officer of the Indian Army who was awarded India 's highest military honour , the Param Vir Chakra during Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 .
Subedar Major and Honorary Captain Bana Singh , PVC ( born 6 January 1949 ) is a retired Indian soldier and a recipient of the nation 's highest military award , the Param Vir Chakra . He has held the ranks Naib Subedar , Subedar , Subedar Major and Honorary Captain in the Indian Army . As a Naib Subedar , he led the team which conquered the highest peak in the Siachen area as part of Operation Rajiv . The peak was named as Bana Post in his honour .
Junior Commissioned Officer ( JCO ) is a term used for a group of military personnel which is higher than havlidars and lower than lieutenants ; this term is only used by India and Pakistan . Senior havildars are promoted to JCO rank on the basis of merit and seniority , restricted by the number of vacancies . JCOs are treated as a separate class and hold many privileges . With good pay and privileges , it is an ambition of most enlisted men to attain such rank . Primarily the term was associated with armies but since 2000s India and Pakistan 's navies and forces are using the term to indicate their Chief Petty Officers and Warrant Officers . The British Indian Army recruited Gurkha soldiers from Nepal since the 19th century and separate Gurkha Regiments were created for them , the Gurkha soldiers got same ranks as other Indian soldiers ; the modern Nepal Army officially made the Indian Army rank system for their soldiers in 1960s through a series of reorganizations and the 'JCO ' term is being used by them from then .
The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry ( JAK LI ) is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army . The regimental center is in Srinagar 's Airport Complex at Awantipora with a winter setup near Jammu . Its regimental insignia consists of a pair of crossed rifles . The regiment mostly consists of volunteers from the state of Jammu & Kashmir . 50% of the regiment 's troops are Muslims while the rest represent other ethnic groups from the state.The Jammu and Kahmir Light Infantry is considered to be the most decorated regiment of the Indian army having won 1 Param Veer Chakra and 3 Ashok Chakra . Naib Subedar Chuni Lal of the 8th battalion Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry is the most decorated personnel of the Indian Army .
Operation Rajiv was an Indian Army operation to capture the highest peak in the Siachen area in 1987 . The Pakistan Army had established a post ( called the Quaid Post ) on the top of the strategically located peak , threatening the Indian movement in the area . An Indian task force , led by Major Varinder Singh , launched multiple attacks to capture the Post . After three unsuccessful attempts , a team led by Naib Subedar Bana Singh captured the Post . The peak was renamed Bana Top in honour of Bana Singh , who was awarded India 's highest military award Param Vir Chakra for his courage . The operation was named after Second Lieutenant Rajiv Pande , who had been killed during an earlier attempt to capture the peak .
The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas at about 35°25′16″N 77°06′34″E / 35.421226°N 77.109540°E / 35.421226 ; 77.109540 , just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends . At 76 km ( 47 mi ) long , it is the longest glacier in the Karakoram and second-longest in the world 's non-polar areas . It falls from an altitude of 5,753 m ( 18,875 ft ) above sea level at its head at Indira Col on the China border down to 3,620 m ( 11,875 ft ) at its terminus . The entire Siachen Glacier , with all major passes , is currently under the administration of India ( currently as part of the union territory of Ladakh ) since 1984 . Pakistan controls the region west of Saltoro Ridge , far away from the glacier , with Pakistani posts located 3,000 ft below more than 100 Indian posts on Saltoro Ridge . The Siachen Glacier lies immediately south of the great drainage divide that separates the Eurasian Plate from the Indian subcontinent in the extensively glaciated portion of the Karakoram sometimes called the Third Pole . The glacier lies between the Saltoro Ridge immediately to the west and the main Karakoram range to the east . The Saltoro Ridge originates in the north from the Sia Kangri peak on the China border in the Karakoram range . The crest of the Saltoro Ridge 's altitudes range from 5,450 to 7,720 m ( 17,880 to 25,330 feet ) . The major passes on this ridge are , from north to south , Sia La at 5,589 m ( 18,336 ft ) , Bilafond La at 5,450 m ( 17,880 ft ) , and Gyong La at 5,689 m ( 18,665 ft ) . The average winter snowfall is more than 1000 cm ( 35 ft ) and temperatures can dip to −50 °C ( −58 °F ) . Including all tributary glaciers , the Siachen Glacier system covers about 700 km2 ( 270 sq mi ) .
Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran , PVC ( 13 September 1946 , Mumbai - 25 November 1987 , Sri Lanka ) was an Officer of the Indian Army who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra , India 's highest military decoration , for his bravery . Maj. Parameshwaran was granted Short Service Commission in the 15th Battalion Mahar Regiment on 16 January 1972 .
The Mahar Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army . Although it was originally intended to be a regiment consisting of troops from the Mahar community of Maharashtra , the Mahar Regiment is one of the only regiments in the Indian Army that is composed of troops from all communities and regions of India .
Operation Pawan ( Hindi : ऑपरेशन पवन Ŏparēśan Pavan , lit . Operation Wind ) was the code name assigned to the operation by the Indian Peace Keeping Force ( IPKF ) to take control of Jaffna from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE ) , better known as the Tamil Tigers , in late 1987 to enforce the disarmament of the LTTE as a part of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord . In brutal fighting lasting about three weeks , the IPKF took control of the Jaffna Peninsula from the LTTE , something that the Sri Lankan Army had tried but failed to do . Supported by Indian Army tanks , helicopter gunships and heavy artillery , the IPKF routed the LTTE at the cost of 214 soldiers and Officers .
Sri Lanka ( UK : /sri ˈlæŋkə , ʃriː -/ , US : /- ˈlɑːŋkə/ ( listen ) ; Sinhala : ශ්‍රී ලංකා Śrī Laṃkā ; Tamil : இலங்கை Ilaṅkai ) , officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka , is an island country in South Asia , located in the Indian Ocean to the southwest of the Bay of Bengal and to the southeast of the Arabian Sea . The island is geographically separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait . The legislative capital , Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte , is a suburb of the commercial capital and largest city , Colombo . Sri Lanka 's documented history spans 3,000 years , with evidence of pre-historic human settlements dating back to at least 125,000 years . It has a rich cultural heritage , and the first known Buddhist writings of Sri Lanka , the Pāli Canon , date back to the Fourth Buddhist council in 29 BC . Its geographic location and deep harbours made it of great strategic importance from the time of the ancient Silk Road through to the modern Maritime Silk Road . Sri Lanka was known in the west and from the beginning of British colonial rule as Ceylon ( /sɪˈlɒn/ , US also /seɪˈlɒn/ ) . A nationalist political movement arose in the country in the early 20th century to obtain political independence , which was granted in 1948 ; the country became a republic and adopted its current name in 1972 . Sri Lanka 's recent history has been marred by a 26-year civil war , which ended decisively when the Sri Lanka Armed Forces defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE ) in 2009 . The current constitution stipulates the political system as a republic and a unitary state governed by a semi-presidential system . It has had a long history of international engagement , as a founding member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ( SAARC ) , and a member of the United Nations , the Commonwealth of Nations , the G77 , and the Non-Aligned Movement . Along with the Maldives , Sri Lanka is one of only two South Asian countries rated high on the Human Development Index ( HDI ) , with its HDI rating and per capita income the highest among South Asian nations .
Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey , PVC ( 25 June 1975 - 3 July 1999 ) , was an Indian Army officer of the 1st battalion , 11 Gorkha Rifles who was posthumously awarded India 's highest military honour , the Param Vir Chakra , for his audacious courage and leadership during the Kargil War in 1999 . He was killed during the attack on Jubar Top , Khalubar Hills in Batalik Sector , Kargil .
A lieutenant ( UK : /lɛfˈtɛnənt/ lef-TEN-ənt or US : /luːˈtɛnənt/ loo-TEN-ənt abbreviated Lt , LT , Lieut and similar ) is the second junior-most or in some cases the junior-most commissioned officer in the armed forces , fire services , police , and other organizations of many nations . The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries ( see comparative military ranks ) , but is often subdivided into senior ( first lieutenant ) and junior ( second lieutenant and even third lieutenant ) ranks . In navies it is often equivalent to the army rank of captain ; it may also indicate a particular post rather than a rank . The rank is also used in fire services , emergency medical services , security services and police forces . Lieutenant may also appear as part of a title used in various other organisations with a codified command structure . It often designates someone who is second-in-command , and as such , may precede the name of the rank directly above it . For example , a lieutenant master is likely to be second-in-command to the master in an organisation using both ranks . Political uses include lieutenant governor in various governments , and Quebec lieutenant in Canadian politics . In the United Kingdom , a lord lieutenant is the sovereign 's representative in a county or lieutenancy area , while a deputy lieutenant is one of the lord lieutenant 's deputies .
The 11 Gorkha Rifles is a Gorkha regiment of the Indian Army that was re-raised after independence . The regiment consists of primarily the Rais and Limbus of north-eastern India . It also recruits from Indian Gorkhas and Bhutias from Darjeeling district , West Bengal and Sikkim . Though it is considered to be the youngest of the Gorkha regiments its lineage is as long as those of the 7th Gurkha Rifles and 10th Gurkha Rifles . The regiment has participated in all major military operations India has undertaken since independence including in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 , Operation Polo in 1948 , the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 , the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 , and the Kargil War in 1999 . Units of the regiment have also deployed abroad on UN missions .
The Kargil War , also known as the Kargil conflict , [ note ( I ) ] was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control ( LOC ) . In India , the conflict is also referred to as Operation Vijay ( Hindi : विजय , literally Victory ) which was the name of the Indian operation to clear the Kargil sector . The Indian Air Force 's role in acting jointly with Ground troops during the War that was aimed at flushing out Regular and Irregular troops of the Pakistani Army from vacated Indian Positions in the Kargil sector along the Line of Control . This operation was given the code name Operation Safed Sagar ( Hindi : ऑपरेशन सफेद सागर , lit . Operation White Sea ) The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers disguised as Kashmiri militants into positions on the Indian side of the LOC , which serves as the de facto border between the two states . During the initial stages of the war , Pakistan blamed the fighting entirely on independent Kashmiri insurgents , but documents left behind by casualties and later statements by Pakistan 's Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff showed involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces , led by General Ashraf Rashid . The Indian Army , later supported by the Indian Air Force , recaptured a majority of the positions on the Indian side of the LOC infiltrated by the Pakistani troops and militants . Facing international diplomatic opposition , the Pakistani forces withdrew from the remaining Indian positions along the LOC . The war is one of the most recent examples of high-altitude warfare in mountainous terrain , which as such posed significant logistical problems for the combating sides . It is also the sole instances of direct , conventional warfare between nuclear states ( i.e. , those possessing nuclear weapons ) . India had conducted its first successful test in 1974 ; Pakistan , which had been developing its nuclear capability in secret since around the same time , conducted its first known tests in 1998 , just two weeks after a second series of tests by India .
Subedar Major Yogendra Singh Yadav PVC is a Junior Commissioned Officer ( JCO ) of the Indian Army , who has been awarded with the highest Indian military honour decoration , the Param Vir Chakra , for his action during the Kargil War . Aged 19 when he received the decoration , he is recorded as the youngest person to ever be awarded the Param Vir Chakra .
The Battle of Tiger Hill encompasses the battles fought in and around the peak of Tiger Hill between the Indian Army and the Pakistan Army from the final week of May till second week of June 1999 , during the Kargil War . The battle , with the concomitant battle for the adjoining peak of Tololing , culminated in Indian forces capturing Tiger Hill . Indian battalions involved in the operation included 8 Sikh , 2 Naga , and 18 Grenadiers .
Tiger Hill traditionally known as GangzLa ( also called Point 5062 ) is a mountain in the Drass-Kargil area of Ladakh , India . It is one of the highest peaks in the area and was the subject of a battle during the 1999 India-Pakistan Kargil War . Its recapture was one of the most important objectives for Indian forces during the Kargil War .
Subedar Sanjay Kumar , PVC ( born 3 March 1976 ) is an Indian Army soldier , a Junior Commissioned Officer and recipient of the Param Vir Chakra , India 's highest military award .
The Jammu and Kashmir Rifles is one of the most prestigious infantry regiment of the Indian Army . Its origins lay in the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir . After the accession of the state to the Indian Union in October 1947 , the State Forces came under the command of the Indian Army . They remained in the original form until 1956 when Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly effectively ratified the state 's accession to India . Then the State Forces became the Jammu and Kashmir Regiment of the Indian Army . In 1963 , the designation was changed to Jammu and Kashmir Rifles . After the conversion , the Ladakh Scouts came under the aegis of the Regiment , where it remained until raised as a separate Regiment in 2002 .
The Kargil War , also known as the Kargil conflict , [ note ( I ) ] was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control ( LOC ) . In India , the conflict is also referred to as Operation Vijay ( Hindi : विजय , literally Victory ) which was the name of the Indian operation to clear the Kargil sector . The Indian Air Force 's role in acting jointly with Ground troops during the War that was aimed at flushing out Regular and Irregular troops of the Pakistani Army from vacated Indian Positions in the Kargil sector along the Line of Control . This operation was given the code name Operation Safed Sagar ( Hindi : ऑपरेशन सफेद सागर , lit . Operation White Sea ) The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers disguised as Kashmiri militants into positions on the Indian side of the LOC , which serves as the de facto border between the two states . During the initial stages of the war , Pakistan blamed the fighting entirely on independent Kashmiri insurgents , but documents left behind by casualties and later statements by Pakistan 's Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff showed involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces , led by General Ashraf Rashid . The Indian Army , later supported by the Indian Air Force , recaptured a majority of the positions on the Indian side of the LOC infiltrated by the Pakistani troops and militants . Facing international diplomatic opposition , the Pakistani forces withdrew from the remaining Indian positions along the LOC . The war is one of the most recent examples of high-altitude warfare in mountainous terrain , which as such posed significant logistical problems for the combating sides . It is also the sole instances of direct , conventional warfare between nuclear states ( i.e. , those possessing nuclear weapons ) . India had conducted its first successful test in 1974 ; Pakistan , which had been developing its nuclear capability in secret since around the same time , conducted its first known tests in 1998 , just two weeks after a second series of tests by India .
Kargil is a town in the Kargil district and is the Joint capital of the union territory of Ladakh and is the second largest town after Leh . It is located 60 km and 204 km from Drass and Srinagar to the west respectively , 234 km from Leh to the east , 240 km from Padum to the southeast and 1,047 km from Delhi to the south . Kargil was the location of centre at the time of Ladakh wazarat till 1979 which consists of 3 prominent places that are Skardu , Kargil and Leh .