D R Soni | |
---|---|
Allegiance | India |
Service/ | Indian Army |
Years of service | June 1979 - September 2018 |
Rank | Lieutenant General |
Service number | IC-35987P |
Unit | Central India Horse |
Commands held | Southern Command Army Training Command X Corps 47 Armoured Regiment |
Awards | Param Vishisht Seva Medal Vishisht Seva Medal |
Spouse(s) | Colonel Suman Soni (retd.) |
Lieutenant General Dewan Rabindranath Soni, PVSM, VSM is a former General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Southern Command of the Indian Army. He served in office from 1 December 2017 till 30 September 2018. He assumed the post after Lieutenant General P M Hariz retired and was succeeded by Lt General Satinder Kumar Saini. [1] [2]
Soni is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. In addition, he attended the Junior Command, Senior Command and Higher Command Courses at Army War College, Mhow; the Staff Course at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington; and the Combat Group Commanders Course at Armoured Corps Centre and School, Ahmednagar. He also has a master's degree in Global Security from Cranfield University and attended the Defence College of Management and Technology, Shrivenham in the United Kingdom. [1] [3] [4] [5]
He is a sportsman and likes golf and tennis. He is married to Colonel Suman Soni (retd.), who served in the Army as a gynecologist for twenty-two years. [4] [5]
Soni was commissioned into the Central India Horse, a tank regiment of the Indian Army, in June 1979. Later, he was transferred to the 47 Armoured Regiment on its raising in 1983. He has commanded an armoured brigade; an armoured division; 47 armoured Regiment (July 1999 - December 2001), X Corps (Bhatinda) (18 June 2015 – 16 September 2016) and GOC-in-C, Army Training Command (17 September 2016 – 30 November 2017). He has held various staff appointments including Brigade Major of an armoured brigade; Colonel Administration of a Counter Insurgency Force in Jammu and Kashmir, and Colonel General Staff of a Mountain Division in the Eastern Sector. He was also deputed as a military observer in Iraq and Kuwait after the Gulf War. [1] [3] [4] [ dead link ] [6]
During 39 years of his career, he has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (2018), Vishisht Seva Medal (2015), the Chief of the Army Staff’s Commendation Card and the Commendation Card of the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Western Command. [1] [7] [8]
Lt. Gen. Soni retired on September 30, 2018, and was succeeded as the GOC-in-C of the Southern Command by Lt. Gen. S.K. Saini. [9]
Lieutenant General Philip Campose, PVSM, AVSM & Bar, VSM was the Vice Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army and assumed office on 1 August 2014 succeeding General Dalbir Singh. He retired on 31 July 2015 and was succeeded by Lieutenant General Man Mohan Singh Rai.
Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC was the 25th General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command of the Indian Army and assumed office on 1 August 2015 after Lieutenant General Man Mohan Singh Rai.
Lieutenant General Kamal Jit Singh, PVSM, AVSM & Bar is a retired Indian Army officer and former general officer commanding-in-chief of Western Command. After retirement, he was conferred with Maharaja Ranjit Singh Chair of Excellence in Punjab University. and was appointed as Advisor to CM Haryana in November 2018. He graduated from the National Defence Academy, and attended various staff courses in training academies of the Indian Army throughout the country. Singh worked closely with UN Peacekeeping forces stationed in Angola and was commended by the chief and UN Force Commander during his tenure. He held several appointments as commanding officer and also staff appointments at the headquarters of the Indian Army. He has been twice awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. In 2019, Singh was appointed as State Information Commissioner and was inducted into Chandigarh Advisory Council. He was nominated as Chairman of Education Standing Committee of UT Advisory Council in 2022. He was awarded Ph D in Defence Studies in Oct 2023. He was conferred with designation of Honorary Professor in PU in Sep 23 and as Prof of Practice in Chandigarh University in Oct 23.
Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, ADC is a retired general officer of the Indian Army who served as 39th Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS). He assumed office on 1 June 2018 following the retirement of Lieutenant General Sarath Chand, and retired on 31 August 2019. He also served as General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command from 1 December 2016 to 31 May 2018, prior to that commanding Northern Command, he had commanded IV Corps in the North East.
Lieutenant General Abhay Krishna, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC is a retired officer of Indian Army. He served as General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Central Command from 1 October 2018 following the retirement of Lieutenant General Balwant Singh Negi, to 30 September 2019. He was succeeded by Lieutenant General Iqroop Singh Ghuman. Prior to that, he commanded the Eastern Command and South Western Command of the Indian Army
Lieutenant General Surinder Singh, PVSM, AVSM & Bar, VSM is a retired officer of Indian Army who served as General Officer Commander-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Western Command. He took office of the Chairman, Punjab Public Service Commission on 21 August 2019.
Lieutenant General Pattiarimal Mohamadali Hariz, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC is the former General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Southern Command of the Indian Army and served in office from 1 September 2016 to 30 November 2017. He assumed the post from General Bipin Rawat and was succeeded by Dewan Rabindranath Soni.
Lieutenant General Man Mohan Singh Rai, PVSM, AVSM, VSM was the Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) of the Indian Army and assumed office on 1 August 2015 following the retirement of Lieutenant General Philip Campose. He retired on 31 July 2016 and was succeeded by General Bipin Rawat.
General Manoj Mukund Naravane, is a retired Indian Army General who served as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), as well as the temporary Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee from 15 December 2021 until his superannuation on 30 April 2022. He took over as COAS from General Bipin Rawat on 31 December 2019. Prior to his appointment as the COAS, the general officer served as the 40th Vice Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Eastern Command and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Army Training Command. He also served as General Officer Commanding II Corps and also as General Officer Commanding Delhi Area.
Lieutenant General Amarjeet Singh Bedi PVSM UYSM, YSM, VSM is a former Commander of the IV Corps of the Indian Army and assumed office on 25 November 2016. He assumed the post from Lt General Devraj Anbu.
Lieutenant General Iqroop Singh Ghuman, PVSM, AVSM, ADC is a commissioned officer of the Indian Army. He was the General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Central Command of the Indian Army. He took office on 2 October when Lt Gen Abhay Krishna retired.
Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, PVSM, AVSM & Bar, YSM, SM, ADC is a former General Officer in the Indian Army. He last served as the General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Northern Command. He assumed office on 1 June 2018 from Lt Gen Devraj Anbu who assumed the office of Vice Chief of the Army Staff. He was the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Indian Army during the 2016 Indian Line of Control strike & during the 2015 Indian counter-insurgency operation in Myanmar he was Additional Director General of Military Operations (ADGMO). He was considered the face of the operations because he briefed the media after both the strikes.
Lieutenant General Satish Dua, PVSM, UYSM, SM, VSM is a retired General Officer of Indian Army. He served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) of the Indian Armed Forces and the Former 15 Corps in Kashmir. The General Officer was the Kashmir Corps Commander during the 'surgical strike' in September 2016. He was the Colonel of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment.
Lieutenant General Satinder Kumar Saini, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, VSM, ADC was the 41st Vice Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army and assumed the office on 25 January 2020. He previously served as General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC-in-C) Southern Command.
Lieutenant General Yenduru Venkata Krishna Mohan, AVSM, SM, VSM is a retired Indian Army general who last served as the Commandant of the Defence Services Staff College. He previously served as the Commander, IX Corps of the Indian Army. He assumed the post after Lt. General Satinder Kumar Saini took over as the GOC-in-C, Southern Command.
Lieutenant General Ravendra Pal Singh PVSM, AVSM, VSM is a former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Western Command of the Indian Army. He assumed office on 1 August 2019, succeeding Gen Surinder Singh.
General Manoj Pande, is a retired four star general officer of the Indian Army. He last served as the 29th Chief of the Army Staff. He previously served as 43rd Vice Chief of the Army Staff, prior to that he was General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command and also as the Commander-in-Chief (CINCAN) of Andaman and Nicobar Command. He also served as General Officer Commanding IV Corps, before assuming the appointment as commander of Gajraj Corps he was serving as the Chief of Staff, Southern Command. He is the first officer from the Corps of Engineers to become the Army Chief.
Lieutenant general Manjinder Singh, AVSM,YSM, VSM is a serving general officer of the Indian Army. He currently serves as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief South Western Command. He previously held the appointment of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Army Training Command. He earlier served as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff at HQ IDS, prior to this he was General Officer Commanding XVI Corps. He also served as Chief of Staff of the Western Command. The general officer is also the COLONEL of THE MADRAS REGIMENT since 01 Jan 2021.
Lieutenant General M. V. Suchindra Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, YSM & bar, VSM is a serving general officer of the Indian Army. He is currently the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command. He previously served as the 45th Vice Chief of the Army Staff, prior to that he was Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Strategy) and General Officer Commanding XVI Corps.
Lieutenant General Lakshman Singh Rawat, PVSM, AVSM was a General Officer in the Indian Army. He last served as the Deputy Chief of the Army Staff, from 1987 to 1988. His son General Bipin Rawat was India's first Chief of the Defence Staff and was the 26th Chief of the Army Staff.