General Nirmal Chander Vij was the 21st Indian Chief of Army Staff during 31 Dec 2002 - 31 Jan 2005. He was born in January 1943 at Jammu. He completed his studies at the SRML Higher Secondary School, Jammu and joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) in 1959. He was commissioned into the Dogra Regiment on 11 December 1962. Within weeks of his commissioning, he saw action in the Walong sector in the 1962 Indo-China War. Since then he has served in the eastern sector six times, the last time being as the General Officer Commanding of the IV Corps. Vij has served as the General Staff Officer of an Infantry Division, a Director in the Military Operations Directorate as a Colonel and Deputy Director General of Perspective Planning (Strategic Planning) as a Brigadier at Army HQ in New Delhi.
Vij served as the Major General, General Staff at the Western Command in Chandimandir, Chandigarh (Punjab) and during the 1999 Kargil War, he served as the Director General Military Operations (DGMO). During this time he was criticized for appearing, in his professional capacity before a group of senior BJP leaders, and briefing them. In 1999, he broke the military tradition to brief members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on operations in Kargil, when he was Director General of Military Operations. For his services as the DGMO, he was awarded the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal. He was involved in the planning and execution of Operation Khukri - to extricate trapped Indian peacekeeping troops in Sierra Leone. The formations he has commanded include a mountain brigade involved in active counter- insurgency operations in the north east, an elite RAPID (Reorganised Army Plains Infantry Division) unit, the Strike Corps based at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and the IV Corps based at Tezpur, Assam. He is also a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM). On 1 October 2000, Vij was appointed as the GOC of Southern Command at Pune and led the Army's rescue efforts during the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. In October 2001, he was appointed as the Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) at New Delhi and in January 2002, he was appointed as the 10th Colonel of the Dogra Regiment and the Dogra Scouts. He was appointed as the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) on 31 December 2004. He is married to Rita Vij and they have a son, Nalin, who is a software engineer in the United States.
General Vij retired on 31 January 2005, after completing more than 42 years service. As of 2010, he is the Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, with an equivalent rank of a Union Minister of State.
Biodata of Gen NC Vij
Recent Controversy- Adarsh Scam
Builders by name Adarsh Housing Cooperative Society have been constructing buildings in the prime government land in Mumbai. The permission for construction on this government land has been taken in name of providing the affordable accommodation to war widows and the land had been reserved for this purpose. However, many politicians, top military officials, other bureaucrats and their relatives have taken the ownership of the flats. Ashok Chavan, chief minister of Maharashtra has resigned for his role in this scam. CBI is probing the scam. Gen N C Vij along with two other former military chiefs - Gen Deepak Kapoor, and Admiral Madhvendra Singh have offered to give up their apartments.
Experience gained managing National Disasters will enable Gen NC Vij to tide over his present disaster!
Gen. N.C.Vij PVSM, UYSM, AVSM (Retd) Vice Chairman Appointment 28 September 2005 as Vice Chairman NDMA. Gen Vij, who rose to be the Army Chief, was commissioned in the Indian Army in Dec 1962 and participated in all the Wars fought by India. The many noteworthy command and staff assignments handled by him, include those of Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) and Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
A highly acclaimed military strategist; as the DGMO during the Kargil War, he was responsible for organizing a coordinated withdrawal of Pakistan troops from the War Zone. Another feather in his cap as DGMO was to conceptualize and thereafter oversee the execution of the operations (OP KHUKRI), in Sierra Leone, wherein over 455 Indian Soldiers, serving as part of UN Peace Keeping contingent who had been taken hostage, were rescued in a dare devil operation. This action won worldwide acclaim and appreciation. His tenure as the Army Chief was acclaimed widely for a bold and imaginative strategy of laying a 670 km long fence all along the line of control in J&K, in a record time of nine months, thus reducing the infiltration to a trickle. He was also responsible for conceptualizing the raising of a new Command and Corps HQ each for providing a strategically balanced posture. For his distinguished service, he has been awarded Param Vishist Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal and Ati Vishist Seva Medal.
He has vast experience in disaster management. Among the most notable of his contributions in this field are in case of Orissa Super Cyclone, wherein he coordinated the assistance rendered by the Army. He personally handled the rescue and relief operations in Gujarat as Southern Army Commander and Tsunami as the Army Chief. On 28 Sep 2005, he was appointed as the Vice Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, which is headed by the Prime Minister.
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