NEW DELHI: Indian Army’s 1 (Strike) Corps has got a new General Officer Commanding (GoC) as Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Gajendra Joshi assumed the appointment on Monday. He took over the reins of the Corps from Lt Gen MK Katiyar. Lt Gen Katiyar has shifted as the new Director General Military Operations (DGMO) at the New Delhi based Army headquarters.
Army in a statement on Tuesday said, “Lieutenant General Gajendra Joshi, has had vast operational experience as he operated in Sri Lanka during Operation Pawan, was actively involved in Counter Terrorism Operations as a Battalion Commander in South Kashmir and as a Sector Commander in Manipur. The General Officer has Commanded a Division along the ‘Line of Control’ in Jammu & Kashmir.”
His staff experience includes appointments of General Staff Officer-Grade 1 (Operations) of a Mountain Division, Colonel General Staff (Operations) at Corps Headquarters in the High Altitude Area.
He has been the Deputy Director General of Military Operations and Military Intelligence at the Army Headquarters. He was posted as Additional Director General Manpower Planning and subsequently on promotion assumed the appointment of Director General (Manpower Planning & Personnel Services) in Adjutant General’s Branch of the Indian Army prior to taking on this command appointment at Mathura.
The significance of the command can be understood from the fact that the approximately 1.4 million strong Indian Army has only four strike corps which includes the I Corps (Mathura), II corps (Ambala), 21 Corps (Bhopal) and the partially-raised 17 Corps (Panagarh). The strike corps are oriented for offensive operations with a role to enter the enemy area first.
Mathura Corps has been re-oriented to handle the northern borders with China post the realignment carried out after China amassed troops along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. Earlier it was tasked for the Western borders with Pakistan
On assuming command, he exhorted all ranks to focus on operational preparedness so as to meet the emerging security challenges for the nation. He reiterated that 1 Corps will further enhance its combat effectiveness as a ‘Force of Decision’ for the nation.