Rajesh Pushkar
Lieutenant General in the Indian Army
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar, AVSM, VSM is a serving general officer of the Indian Army. He is currently serving as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command.[3] He earlier served as the General Officer Commanding II Corps and as the Director General of Territorial Army.[4] He is also the Colonel of the Regiment of the Armoured Corps.[5]
Shashi Tharoor (Brother-in-Law)[1]
IndiaRajesh Pushkar | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2026 | |
| General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Command | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2026 | |
| Chief of Army Staff | Dhiraj Seth |
| Preceded by | Sandeep Jain |
| Personal details | |
| Relations | Sunanda Pushkar (Sister) Shashi Tharoor (Brother-in-Law)[1] |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | India |
| Branch/service |  Indian Army |
Years of service | 17 December 1988 – Present |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Unit |  74 Armoured Regiment |
| Commands |
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| Service number | IC-48046A[2] |
| Awards | |
Early life and education
Pushkar is one of three children born to Lieutenant Colonel Pushkar Nath Dass and Jaya Dass. His elder sister Sunanda Pushkar was a businesswoman and was married to Shashi Tharoor.[6][7]
Pushkar is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He is also an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, College of Defence Management, Secunderabad, and the National Defence College, New Delhi.[8] He holds a Masters in Defence and Strategic Studies, a Masters in Management Studies and a Master of Philosophy in Defence and International Relations.[3]
Military career
Pushkar was commissioned into the 74th Armoured Regiment on 17 December 1988 from the Indian Military Academy. In a career spanning over three decades he has held various command and staff appointments. He attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. He also served as an instructor at his alma mater, the National Defence Academy.[3]
As a Colonel, Pushkar commanded an armoured regiment in an operational area, served as Colonel Military Secretary (Col MS) in a Strike Corps and as Colonel General Staff (Col GS) of an Armoured Division in the Western Sector. As a Brigadier, he commanded the 14th Independent Armoured Brigade, served as Brigadier Quartermaster General (Brig Q) of a Strike Corps and Brigadier General Staff (BGS) of an Operational Command. He undertook an diplomatic assignment as Defence Attaché at the Embassy of India, Moscow, with accreditation to Armenia and Belarus.[9][3]
General officer
As a Major General, Pushkar commanded the 15th Infantry Division in the western sector.[10] He also served as the Commandant of Indian Military Training Team, Bhutan in Bhutan and as the Additional Director General, Armoured Corps at Army headquarters, New Delhi.[11] On promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General, he assumed the appointment of Director General of Territorial Army.
After a short stint as DGTA, on 1 July 2024, Pushkar took over as the General Officer Commanding, II Corps succeeding Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh.[12][13] He was in command of II Corps during Operation Sindoor.[14] On 1 July 2026, Lieutenant General Pushkar took over as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command succeeding Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain upon his elevation as the Vice Chief of Army Staff.[3]
Awards and decorations
Pushkar was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2025[2] and the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2016.[15] He has also received the Chief of Army Staff Commendation and three Army Commander Commendations.
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Dates of rank
| Insignia | Rank | Component | Date of rank |
|---|---|---|---|
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Second Lieutenant | Indian Army | 17 December 1988 |
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Lieutenant | Indian Army | 17 December 1990[16] |
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Captain | Indian Army | 17 December 1993[17] |
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Major | Indian Army | 17 December 1999[18] |
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Lieutenant Colonel | Indian Army | 16 December 2004[19] |
 |
Colonel | Indian Army | 17 December 2008[20] |
 |
Brigadier | Indian Army | 1 December 2014 (acting)
1 February 2016 (substantive with seniority from 24 September 2012)[21] |
 |
Major General | Indian Army | 1 February 2022 (seniority from 20 November 2018)[22] |
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Lieutenant General | Indian Army | 2024 |