XI Corps (India)

Last updated

XI Corps
Vajra Corps.png
Vajra Corps formation sign
Active1950 - present
Country India
Branch Indian Army
RoleStrike Corps
Size Army Corps
Part of Western Command
Garrison/HQ Jalandhar
Nickname(s)Vajra Corps
Defenders of Punjab [1]
Battle honours Theatre Honour:
Punjab
Battle Honours:
Dograi
Barki
Asal Uttar
Sehjra
Dera Baba Nanak [2]
Commanders
Current
commander		 Lt Gen Ajay Chandpuria
AVSM , VSM [3]
Notable
commanders		 General Ved Prakash Malik
General Om Prakash Malhotra
Lt Gen Naveen Chand Rawlley
Lt Gen J S Dhillon
Lt Gen T B Henderson Brooks

The XI Corps of the Indian Army is based in Jalandhar and is a part of Western Command. XI Corps is also known as Vajra Corps.

Contents

History

XI Corps was raised to take command of the formations in the Punjab in 1950 [4] as India reorganised its post-1947 army to meet the new threat of Pakistan. [5] It was raised on March 1, 1950 at Ambala under the command of Lieutenant General Kalwant Singh. [6] The corps headquarters was relocated to Jalandhar in July 1951. [2]

To reduce the load of XI Corps, X Corps was formed at Bathinda on 1 July 1979, taking over south Punjab and north Rajasthan. [7]

Formation sign

The Corps formation sign consists of the 'red-white-red background' depicting a corps of the Indian Army overlaid by a Vajra , the powerful thunderbolt weapon of Lord Indra, the symbol of sacrifice of the great sage Dadhichi, who voluntarily sacrificed his body to make the fiercest weapon from his thighbone. [6]

Vajra Corps Platinum Jubilee, 1 March 2020 Vajra platinum jubilee.jpg
Vajra Corps Platinum Jubilee, 1 March 2020

Organisation

The corps consists of: [8]

Vajra Shaurya Sthal, Jalandhar Cantonment - the Corps war memorial Vajra Shaurya Sthal.jpg
Vajra Shaurya Sthal, Jalandhar Cantonment - the Corps war memorial

Operations

List of Commanders

Vajra Museum, Jalandhar Vajra Museum.jpg
Vajra Museum, Jalandhar
RankNameAppointment DateLeft OfficeUnit of CommissionReferences
Lieutenant General Kalwant Singh1 March 1950 1st Punjab Regiment [6]
S P P Thorat 1955May 1957 1/14 Punjab Regiment [21] [6]
T B Henderson Brooks 19621963 5th Maratha Light Infantry [22]
Joginder Singh Dhillon November 1963August 1966 Bengal Sappers [23]
Premindra Singh Bhagat August 1966August 1970 Bombay Sappers
Naveen Chand Rawlley 19701972 12th Frontier Force Regiment [24]
Om Prakash Malhotra May 1972July 1974 Regiment of Artillery [25]
Krishnaswamy Gowri Shankar19841985 Corps of Signals [26]
V K Nayar 198531 October 1987 Parachute Regiment [nb 1] [28]
Bakshi Krishan Nath Chhibber July 1990September 1992 9th Gorkha Rifles [29]
Ved Prakash Malik August 1992March 1994 Sikh Light Infantry [30] [6]
H B KalaApril 1994 Jat Regiment [31]
Virendra Kumar Sewal Armoured Corps
Kamal Davar March 2000April 2001 7th Light Cavalry [32]
Shantonu ChoudhryApril 2001April 2002 Regiment of Artillery [33]
Krishnamurthy NagarajApr 2002May 2003 Maratha Light Infantry [34]
S PattabhiramanMay 2003May 2004 Bombay Sappers [35] [6]
Parmendra Kumar SinghMay 2004May 2005 Regiment of Artillery [36]
Mandhata SinghMay 2005April 2006 9th Gorkha Rifles [36]
Noble ThamburajMay 2006September 2007 Bombay Sappers [37]
S S KumarOctober 2007August 2008 Brigade of the Guards [38]
Virender Singh TonkAugust 2008July 2009 Rajput Regiment [39]
Ramesh Halgali 24 July 2009August 2010 Sikh Light Infantry [40]
Munish SibalAugust 2010November 2011 Rajputana Rifles [41] [42]
Sanjeev MadhokNovember 2011March 2013 Brigade of the Guards [43]
Ashwini Kumar BakshiMarch 2013July 2014 Bihar Regiment [44]
N P S HiraAugust 201431 July 2015 Sikh Light Infantry [45]
Jagbir Singh Cheema21 August 201531 August 2016 Sikh Regiment [46] [47]
B S Sahrawat1 September 20162 November 2017 Kumaon Regiment [48]
Dushyant Singh2 November 20174 November 2018 Maratha Light Infantry [49]
Arvind Dutta5 November 20185 November 2019 Dogra Regiment [50]
Sanjeev Sharma6 November 20192 December 2020 Rajputana Rifles [51]
C B Ponnappa 2 December 202010 February 2022 Mahar Regiment [52]
Devendra Sharma 11 February 202215 May 2023 14th Horse (Scinde Horse) [53]
Vijay B Nair15 May 202330 June 2024 Punjab Regiment [54]
Ajay Chandpuria1 July 2024Incumbent Dogra Regiment [55]

Notes

  1. ↑ Originally a Signals officer, General Nayar, after persistent pestering of his bosses, managed a transfer to his desired regiment — the Maratha Light Infantry (MLI), securing a billet with 2 Para (3rd battalion, MLI, converted to paratroop infantry). [27]

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References

  1. ↑ "Vajra Corps celebrates 71st Raising Day". 1 March 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Vajra Corps - 'Defenders of Punjab' - celebrates Platinum Jubilee". The Times of India . 1 March 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  3. ↑ "Lt Gen Ajay Chandpuria takes over command of the Vajra Corps from Lt Gen Vijay B Nair". x (formerly twitter). 1 July 2024.
  4. ↑ Renaldi & Rikhye 2011, 26.
  5. ↑ "IPS Driver Error". Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2009.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Vajra Corps celebrates Raising Day". 17 March 2007. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  7. ↑ "Commands of the Indian Army, South Western (Sapta Shakti) Command: Forever Victorious". 16 January 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  8. ↑ "Vajra Corps celebrates Infantry Day". 28 October 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  9. ↑ Renaldi & Rikhye 2011, 40
  10. ↑ "Golden moments at Pine Division". 9 August 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  11. ↑ "15 Infantry division celebrates its raising day". 1 October 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  12. ↑ Renaldi & Rikhye 2011, 166.
  13. ↑ "Army Commander Western Command visits Khasa Military station". 18 July 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  14. ↑ Renaldi & Rikhye 2011.
  15. ↑ "War Disabled Soldiers and Veer Naris Meet Organised at Beas". 16 January 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  16. ↑ "Vajra Corps organises Veer Nari meet". 4 May 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  17. ↑ "Vajra Air Defence felicitates veer naris at annual event". 17 December 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  18. ↑ "Vajra Air Defence Brigade organises Veer Nari meet". The Times of India. 23 February 2020. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  19. 1 2 "Saluting 'Defenders of Punjab'". 7 March 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  20. ↑ "Vajra Museum inaugurated". 6 October 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  21. ↑ Singh, VK (2005). Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers. SAGE India. p. 140. ISBN   978-0761933229.
  22. ↑ "1962 war report: When Nehru stepped on the Dragon's tail". The Times of India . 19 March 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  23. ↑ "Last salute to the lion of 1965". 19 December 2003. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  24. ↑ "1971 operations - Case West - I" . Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  25. ↑ "COAS pays Tribute to Former COAS Gen Om Prakash Malhotra". 31 December 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  26. ↑ "Examples of Learning in Counter-Insurgency" . Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  27. ↑ "Unforgiving take on past". 11 August 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  28. ↑ "PIB Release" (PDF). 27 October 1987. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  29. ↑ "Souvenir 1995" (PDF). Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  30. ↑ "COVER STORY: DECORATED DUO". 16 August 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  31. ↑ "About Us" . Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  32. ↑ "Golden jubilee of Vajra Corps". 4 March 2000. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  33. ↑ "Lt Gen Shantonu Choudhry appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff". 14 December 2002. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  34. ↑ "Vajra Corps celebrates Raising Day". 1 March 2003. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  35. ↑ "Pattabhiraman takes over as GOC-in-C, Western Command". 3 February 2005. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  36. 1 2 "Lieut-Gen Mandhata Singh is new GOC of Vajra Corps". 22 May 2005. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  37. ↑ "Lt Gen Kumar takes over as GOC of Vajra Corps". 29 September 2007. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  38. ↑ "Vajra Celebrations". 8 April 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  39. ↑ "Lt Gen VS Tonk takes command of Vajra Corps". 21 August 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  40. ↑ "K'taka man to head military training". 17 August 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  41. ↑ "Lt.Gen. Sibal to head Vajra Corps". 18 August 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  42. ↑ "Appointment". 17 August 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  43. ↑ "BriefLt Gen Madhok takes over Vajra Corps Command". The Times of India . 12 November 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  44. ↑ "Lieutant general AK Bakshi assumes command of Vajra Corps". 13 March 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  45. ↑ "Lt Gen Hira to take over as new Northern Command Chief of Staff today". 1 August 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  46. ↑ "LT GEN JS CHEEMA, PVSM, AVSM (RETD)" . Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  47. ↑ "Deadlock over Army postings: GOC 11 Corps appointed officiating Western Army Commander". 29 January 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  48. ↑ "Lt Gen BS Sahrawat takes over as commanding officer of Vajra Corps". Chandigarh. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  49. ↑ "Vajra Corps GOC". 3 November 2017.
  50. ↑ "Lt Gen Arvind Dutta takes over command of Vajra Corps". Jalandhar. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  51. ↑ "Lt Gen sharma is Goc vajra corps". Jalandhar. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  52. ↑ Service, Tribune News. "Lt Gen C Bansi Ponnappa is new GOC Vajra Corps". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  53. ↑ "Lieut Gen Devendra Sharma is new Vajra Corps commander". 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  54. ↑ "Lt Gen Sharma to take over as Western Command chief of staff". 16 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  55. ↑ "Lt Gen Ajay Chandpuria takes over command of the Vajra Corps from Lt Gen Vijay B Nair". x (formerly twitter). 1 July 2024.
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