New Delhi: Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pandey was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal by President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday. Constituted in 1960, the Param Vishisht Seva Medal is granted to all positions of the Indian Armed Forces in acknowledgment of peace-time service of the most exceptional order. General Manoj Pandey is the first engineer who has been posted as the Chief of Army Staff. Till now this post has been occupied by the officers of Infantry, Armored and Artillery only. General Manoj Pandey was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers in December 1982.
The General commanded the Engineer Regiment during Operation Parakram in the Pallanwala sector along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. After the terrorist attack on Parliament in December 2001, during Operation Parakram, he moved troops and weapons extensively to the western border.
ALSO READ: Boundary Dispute Remains Basic Issue With China, Beijing Wants To Keep It ‘Alive’, Says Army Chief
In his military career spanning 39 years, General Pandey has commanded the Engineer Brigade in the Western Theater, the Infantry Brigade on the LoC, the Hill Division in the Ladakh Sector and the Corps in the North-East. Prior to taking over as the Eastern Command, he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
Meanwhile, President also presented Shaurya Chakra award to Parents of Captain Ashutosh Kumar of 18th Battalion, Madras Regiment, Mysore (posthumously).
Besides, Capt Ashutosh Kumar (18 Madras), Nb Subedar Sreejith M (17 Madras) Hav.Anil Tomar (44 RR), Pinku Kumar (34 RR), Kashiray Bammanalli (44RR) & Sepoy Jaswanth Reddy (17 Madras) were awarded Shaurya Chakra (posthumously) today at the Rashtrapati Bhawan for their acts of gallantry.
ALSO READ: 'India Guided By Best Interests Of Lankan People': MEA On Mahinda Rajapaksa's Resignation