XI Corps (India)

XI Corps
Vajra Corps formation sign
Active1950 - present
CountryIndia
BranchIndian Army
RoleHolding Corps
SizeCorps
Part of Western Command
Garrison/HQJalandhar
Nickname(s)Vajra Corps
Defenders of Punjab[1]
Battle honoursTheatre 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
Indian Army Corps (1915 - Present)
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X Corps XII Corps

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.

History

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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

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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

Organisation

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The corps consists of:[8]

Vajra Shaurya Sthal, Jalandhar Cantonment - the Corps war memorial

Operations

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List of Commanders

[edit]
Vajra Museum, Jalandhar[21]
Rank Name Appointment Date Left Office Unit of Commission References
Lieutenant General Kalwant Singh 1 March 1950 1st Punjab Regiment [6]
S P P Thorat 1955 May 1957 1/14 Punjab Regiment [22][6]
T B Henderson Brooks 1962 1963 5th Maratha Light Infantry [23]
Joginder Singh Dhillon November 1963 August 1966 Bengal Sappers [24]
Premindra Singh Bhagat August 1966 August 1970 Bombay Sappers
Naveen Chand Rawlley 1970 1972 12th Frontier Force Regiment [25]
Om Prakash Malhotra May 1972 July 1974 Regiment of Artillery [26]
Krishnaswamy Gowri Shankar 1984 1985 Corps of Signals [27]
V K Nayar 1985 31 October 1987 Parachute Regiment[nb 1] [29]
Bakshi Krishan Nath Chhibber July 1990 September 1992 9th Gorkha Rifles [30]
Ved Prakash Malik August 1992 March 1994 Sikh Light Infantry [31][6]
H B Kala April 1994 Jat Regiment [32]
Virendra Kumar Sewal Armoured Corps
Kamal Davar March 2000 April 2001 7th Light Cavalry [33]
Shantonu Choudhry April 2001 April 2002 Regiment of Artillery [34]
Krishnamurthy Nagaraj Apr 2002 May 2003 Maratha Light Infantry [35]
S Pattabhiraman May 2003 May 2004 Bombay Sappers [36][6]
Parmendra Kumar Singh May 2004 May 2005 Regiment of Artillery [37]
Mandhata Singh May 2005 April 2006 9th Gorkha Rifles [37]
Noble Thamburaj May 2006 September 2007 Bombay Sappers [38]
S S Kumar October 2007 August 2008 Brigade of the Guards [39]
Virender Singh Tonk August 2008 July 2009 Rajput Regiment [40]
Ramesh Halgali 24 July 2009 August 2010 Sikh Light Infantry [41]
Munish Sibal August 2010 November 2011 Rajputana Rifles [42][43]
Sanjeev Madhok November 2011 March 2013 Brigade of the Guards [44]
Ashwini Kumar Bakshi March 2013 July 2014 Bihar Regiment [45]
N P S Hira August 2014 31 July 2015 Sikh Light Infantry [46]
Jagbir Singh Cheema 21 August 2015 31 August 2016 Sikh Regiment [47][48]
B S Sahrawat 1 September 2016 2 November 2017 Kumaon Regiment [49]
Dushyant Singh 2 November 2017 4 November 2018 Maratha Light Infantry [50]
Arvind Dutta 5 November 2018 5 November 2019 Dogra Regiment [51]
Sanjeev Sharma 6 November 2019 2 December 2020 Rajputana Rifles [52]
C B Ponnappa 2 December 2020 10 February 2022 Mahar Regiment [53]
Devendra Sharma 11 February 2022 15 May 2023 14th Horse (Scinde Horse) [54]
Vijay B Nair 15 May 2023 30 June 2024 Punjab Regiment [55]
Ajay Chandpuria 1 July 2024 Incumbent Dogra Regiment [56]

Notes

[edit]
  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).[28]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Vajra Corps celebrates 71st Raising Day". 1 March 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b "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. ^ a b c d e f "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. ^ "333rd Artillery Group - India Special Weapons Agencies". nuke.fas.org. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Saluting 'Defenders of Punjab'". 7 March 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  21. ^ "Vajra Museum inaugurated". 6 October 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  22. ^ Singh, VK (2005). Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers. SAGE India. p. 140. ISBN 978-0761933229.
  23. ^ "1962 war report: When Nehru stepped on the Dragon's tail". The Times of India. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  24. ^ "Last salute to the lion of 1965". 19 December 2003. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  25. ^ "1971 operations - Case West - I". Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  26. ^ "COAS pays Tribute to Former COAS Gen Om Prakash Malhotra". 31 December 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  27. ^ "Examples of Learning in Counter-Insurgency". Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  28. ^ "Unforgiving take on past". 11 August 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  29. ^ "PIB Release" (PDF). 27 October 1987. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  30. ^ "Souvenir 1995" (PDF). Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  31. ^ "COVER STORY: DECORATED DUO". 16 August 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  32. ^ "About Us". Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  33. ^ "Golden jubilee of Vajra Corps". 4 March 2000. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  34. ^ "Lt Gen Shantonu Choudhry appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff". 14 December 2002. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  35. ^ "Vajra Corps celebrates Raising Day". 1 March 2003. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  36. ^ "Pattabhiraman takes over as GOC-in-C, Western Command". 3 February 2005. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  37. ^ a b "Lieut-Gen Mandhata Singh is new GOC of Vajra Corps". 22 May 2005. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  38. ^ "Lt Gen Kumar takes over as GOC of Vajra Corps". 29 September 2007. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  39. ^ "Vajra Celebrations". 8 April 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  40. ^ "Lt Gen VS Tonk takes command of Vajra Corps". 21 August 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  41. ^ "K'taka man to head military training". 17 August 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  42. ^ "Lt.Gen. Sibal to head Vajra Corps". 18 August 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  43. ^ "Appointment". 17 August 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  44. ^ "BriefLt Gen Madhok takes over Vajra Corps Command". The Times of India. 12 November 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  45. ^ "Lieutant general AK Bakshi assumes command of Vajra Corps". 13 March 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  46. ^ "Lt Gen Hira to take over as new Northern Command Chief of Staff today". 1 August 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  47. ^ "LT GEN JS CHEEMA, PVSM, AVSM (RETD)". Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  48. ^ "Deadlock over Army postings: GOC 11 Corps appointed officiating Western Army Commander". 29 January 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  49. ^ "Lt Gen BS Sahrawat takes over as commanding officer of Vajra Corps". Chandigarh. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  50. ^ "Vajra Corps GOC". 3 November 2017.
  51. ^ "Lt Gen Arvind Dutta takes over command of Vajra Corps". Jalandhar. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  52. ^ "Lt Gen sharma is Goc vajra corps". Jalandhar. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  53. ^ Service, Tribune News. "Lt Gen C Bansi Ponnappa is new GOC Vajra Corps". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  54. ^ "Lieut Gen Devendra Sharma is new Vajra Corps commander". 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  55. ^ "Lt Gen Sharma to take over as Western Command chief of staff". 16 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  56. ^ "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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