Lt Gen Pushpendra Singh, alumnus of La Martiniere & university of Lucknow, appointed vice chief of army staff

LUCKNOW: Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh, a distinguished alumnus of La Martiniere College and the University of Lucknow, has been appointed Vice Chief of the Army Staff, effective July 31. Prior to this role, he served as Director General Operational Logistics & Strategic Movement at Army Headquarters.Commissioned into the elite 4th Battalion of The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) in December 1987, Lt Gen Singh’s academic journey began at La Martiniere College, Lucknow, followed by higher studies at the University of Lucknow and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.On Friday, La Martiniere College celebrated General’s achievement, sharing on social media: “Lt Gen Pushpendra Pal Singh, ISC batch of 1983, has his name etched in the College Memorial Hall on the Roll of Honour.”In his 38-year long career, Lt Gen Pushpendra has played pivotal roles in several key operations including OP PAWAN, OP MEGHDOOT, OP ORCHID, and multiple tenures in OP RAKSHAK.He has commanded a Special Forces unit in the Kashmir Valley and along the Line of Control, an Infantry Brigade, and a Mountain Division during OP SNOW LEOPARD on the Line of Actual Control.He also served as General Officer Commanding of a Corps headquartered in Himachal Pradesh, overseeing strategic regions such as Jammu, Samba, and Pathankot.His academic credentials include the Staff Course at DSSC, Wellington; the Higher Defence Management Course at CDM, Secunderabad; and the Advanced Professional Programme in Public Administration at IIPA. He holds a Master’s in Management Studies from Osmania University and an MPhil from Punjab University.For his exemplary service, Lt Gen Singh has been decorated with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and a Bar to the Sena Medal.Coming from a proud military lineage, Lt Gen Singh’s father, Lt Col Kunwar Narendra Pal Singh, also served in the Indian Army.Among those who attended the appointment ceremony in Delhi was Colonel Salim Durrani (Retd), a close friend and former comrade. Reflecting on their shared journey, Col Durrani said, “At La Martiniere, we were in the same house—Hudson. He was in the science stream, I was in humanities. We graduated together from the University of Lucknow and cycled to campus from our homes in Mahanagar. We cracked the CDS exam side by side and were commissioned together from the Indian Military Academy.”Col Durrani, who retired from the Rajputana Rifles, added, “Pushpendra is an exceptional officer—competent, diligent, and humble. The nation is fortunate to have him.”The Durrani family also boasts a rich legacy of service. Col Durrani’s grandfather, Nadir Ali Khan Durrani, was a decorated British-India police officer, awarded the King’s Police Medal in 1929 and the Indian Police Medal for Gallantry in 1947. His father, Group Captain Shahid Durrani of the Indian Air Force, received the Vishisht Seva Medal on the 25th anniversary of India’s independence. Col Durrani himself has earned four commendations for gallantry, including one from the Chief of Army Staff and three from General Officers Commanding. His son, Captain Shahnawaz Durrani of The Rajputana Rifles, was honored on the 75th anniversary of Independence.