NEW DELHI: Lieutenant General Ajai Kumar Singh assumed the command of the Indian Army’s Southern Command as its 50th Army Commander on Tuesday. He took charge from Lt Gen J S Nain. On taking charge, the General Officer laid a wreath at the War Memorial, Pune in a solemn ceremony to remember the fallen heroes. The occasion was followed by a traditional Guard of Honour at the Headquarters Southern Command.
Lt Gen Ajai Kumar Singh is an alumnus of St Gabriel’s Academy, Roorkee and National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. The General officer has a comprehensive and well-rounded operational experience through varied command and staff appointments tenanted during his distinguished military career. He was commissioned in December 1984 into the Eleventh Gorkha Rifles.
He commanded a battalion initially as part of Strike Corps and subsequently in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on the Line of Control. The General Officer commanded a Brigade in Rann Sector, a Counter Insurgency Force in J&K and the strategically important Trishakti Corps in the Eastern Sector. He is academically inclined and an ardent reader with interest in spirituality, mythology, military history and nature. He is a graduate of Defence Service Staff College, Wellington on a competitive vacancy and attended the National Defence College (NDC) course.
The General Officer has been an Instructor at Commando School, Belgaum and has also tenanted a foreign assignment with Military Wing at the Indian Embassy, Nepal. He has held many prestigious staff appointments including the Director, Military Operations Branch, Deputy Director General, Discipline & Vigilance, Additional Director General of Military Operations and Director General of Operations & Logistics branch at the IHQ of MoD (Army). He has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, twoChief of Army Staff Commendation Cards and a General Officer Commanding in Chief Commendation card.
Lt General Ajai Kumar Singh is a keen mountaineer and has scaled Mount Rathong (22005 ft) on the Kanchenjunga Massif. He is also a keen sportsman, cyclist and yoga enthusiast.
Officer with rich operational experience
The General Officer has a comprehensive and well-rounded operational experience through varied command and staff appointments tenanted during his distinguished military career. He was commissioned in December 1984 into the Eleventh Gorkha Rifles. He commanded a battalion initially as part of Strike Corps and subsequently in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on the Line of Control.