Lieutenant General Deependra Singh Hooda, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM & Bar, ADC (born 12 November 1956) is the former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian army's Northern Command. The General Officer was the Northern Army Commander during the 'surgical strike' in September 2016. He is most prominently known for his views on Kashmir with a strong emphasis on human rights. With a career spanning forty years, he has served on both the Northern and Eastern borders of India.
Military career He did his schooling from St. Columba's School, Delhi. He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Pune. He was commissioned into the Indian Army on 15 December 1976. He spent time in his early career in the 4th Battalion of the 4th Gorkha Rifles, which he later commanded.
His career spanned over four decades. He was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishist Seva Medal and the Vishisht Seva Medal (Bar). He has been an instructor at the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, Mhow and Col GS of a Strike Corps. He has also had tenures in the Military Operations Directorate and the Quarter Master General's Branch at the Army Headquarters. He has also served on the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea for which he was awarded the UNMEE Medal.
He retired on 30 November 2016 after nearly 40 years of service in the Indian Army.
Awards and decorations
Param Vishisht Seva MedalUttam Yudh Seva MedalAti Vishist Seva MedalVishisht Seva MedalSamanya Seva MedalSpecial Service MedalOperation Vijay MedalOperation Parakram MedalSainya Seva MedalHigh Altitude Service MedalVidesh Seva Medal50th Independence Anniversary Medal30 Years Long Service Medal20 Years Long Service Medal9 Years Long Service MedalUNMEE Medal
Dates of rank Insignia Rank Component Date of rank Second Lieutenant Indian Army 15 December 1976 Lieutenant Indian Army 15 December 1978 Captain Indian Army 15 December 1982 Major Indian Army 15 December 1987 Lieutenant-Colonel Indian Army Colonel Indian Army Brigadier Indian Army 4 July 2006 Major General Indian Army 1 April 2010 (seniority from 8 January 2008) Lieutenant-General Indian Army 17 August 2012 (substantive)
Personal life He is married to Rashmi Hooda.
In popular culture The character of Lieutenant General Ajay Garewal in the 2019 movie Uri: The Surgical Strike played by Satyajit Sharma is based on Lieutenant General Deependra Singh Hooda.
References