Lieutenant General Surinder Singh, PVSM, AVSM & Bar, VSM is a retired officer of Indian Army who served as General Officer Commander-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Western Command. He took office of the Chairman, Punjab Public Service Commission on 21 August 2019.
Early life and education Singh is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Pune and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He has also attended National Defence College, New Delhi and the Higher Command Course at Staff College, Camberley (Surrey).
Career Singh was commissioned into 2nd Battalion Brigade of the Guards in 1979. He has vast experience counter insurgency and operational environments. He has taught at The Infantry School, Mhow and College of Military Engineering, Pune. He has commanded an Armoured Brigade, a Division in a Strike Corps and a Mountain Corps in SikkimXXXIII Corps (Sukhna). He has also held staff appointments at the Military Operations Directorate, the Perspective Planning Directorate at the Army Headquarters, He has also served as a Team Leader of military observers with the UN mission in Liberia and has had other key operational roles.
He assumed the office of General Officer Commander-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Western Command on 17 September 2016, and served in the same capacity till 31 July 2019.
During four decades of his career, he has been awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2010, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2015, Bar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2017 and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2019. He was also ‘The Colonel’ of the Brigade of The Guards.
After his retirement from Indian Army, Singh was appointed Chairman of Punjab Public Service Commission.
Honours and decorations
Param Vishisht Seva MedalAti Vishisht Seva MedalVishisht Seva MedalSamanya Seva MedalSpecial Service MedalOperation Vijay MedalOperation Parakram MedalSainya Seva MedalHigh Altitude Service MedalVidesh Seva Medal50th Anniversary of Independence Medal30 Years Long Service Medal20 Years Long Service Medal9 Years Long Service MedalUN Mission in Liberia
Dates of rank Insignia Rank Component Date of rank Second Lieutenant Indian Army 22 December 1979 Lieutenant Indian Army 22 December 1981 Captain Indian Army 13 January 1983 Major Indian Army 22 December 1990 Lieutenant-Colonel Indian Army 27 September 1997 Colonel Indian Army 11 August 1999 Brigadier Indian Army 1 August 2007(seniority from 16 July 2007) Major General Indian Army 30 April 2012 (seniority from 11 October 2010) Lieutenant-General Indian Army 24 April 2015
References