Monday, March 5, 2012 - CHANDIGARH: The new designated army Chief Gen. Bikram Singh is not only excellent soldier but also a good singer. Singh was known to be having diverse talents during his student days. Among his various talents, he was a very good singer.
The testimony to this fact is that he won award for best singer while studying at Public Schoo, Nabha (Punjab). Besides excelling in studies, he used to be very good in sports winning silver medal in athletics and cricket medal as well.
Army chief originally belongs to a village in Amritsar but later his family shifted to Jammu and Kashmir. After Gen J.J. Singh (former army chief), Bikram Singh would be the second Sikh to be appointed as chief of army staff.
He will take charge on afternoon of May 31 succeeding the present army chief General VK Singh, who retires from the service on May 31 2012
Lt Gen Bikram Singh, who was commissioned into the Sikh Light Infantry (Sikh LI) regiment on March 31, 1972, has a distinguished career. During his decorated career, he has headed the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, served as deputy force commander of a multi-nation UN peace keeping mission in Congo. He had also been UN observer in Nicaragua and El Salvador during the early 1990s.
He is currently heading the Eastern Army Command and is stationed at Kolkata. He will be at the helm of affairs of the 13-lakh strong Army for two years and three months. Among his major challenges including reportedly raising a new strike corps for mountain warfare for which the approval has not yet come from the Union Finance Ministry. Besides this, introduction of new artillery guns, improving the air defence capabilities and increasing the Army’s own aviation assets will be among his priorities.
The long list of his decorations include a Param Vishist Seva Medal (PVSM), a Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM), an Ati Vishist Seva Medal (AVSM), Sena Medal (SM) and a Vishist Seva Medal (VSM).
He has also done an M.Phil in Defence Management from the Indore University and is married to Surjeet Kaur, who is a housewife. The couple has two sons.
His sister Nimmi Sandhu and brother-in-law, Kuldip Kumar Sandhu live at Chandigarh.