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    XI Corps (India)

    From Wikipedia - Reading time: 11 min

    XI Corps
    Vajra Corps formation sign
    Active1950 - present
    CountryIndia
    BranchIndian Army
    RoleStrike Corps
    SizeArmy Corps
    Part ofWestern 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[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)
    Previous Next
    XXI Corps I 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[edit]

    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[edit]

    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[edit]

    The corps consists of:[8]

    • 7 Infantry Division (Golden Arrow Division) headquartered at Firozpur, raised in 1964.[9]
    • 9 Infantry Division (Pine Division) headquartered at Meerut.[10] It has one brigade each at Meerut, Delhi and Jalandhar.
    • 15 Infantry Division (Panther Division) headquartered at Amritsar.[11] Appears to include 350 Infantry Brigade.[12]
    • 23 (Independent) Armoured Brigade (Flaming Arrow Brigade) at Khasa, Amritsar.[13]
    • 55 (Independent) Mechanised Brigade (Double Victory Brigade) at Beas[14][15]
    • Corps Artillery Brigade[16]
    • Corps Air Defence Brigade[17]
    Vajra Shaurya Sthal, Jalandhar Cantonment - the Corps war memorial

    Operations[edit]

    • Indo-Pakistani War of 1965[18]
    • Indo-Pakistani War of 1971[18]

    List of Commanders[edit]

    Vajra Museum, Jalandhar[19]
    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 [20][6]
    T B Henderson Brooks 1962 1963 5th Maratha Light Infantry [21]
    Joginder Singh Dhillon November 1963 August 1966 Bengal Sappers [22]
    Premindra Singh Bhagat August 1966 August 1970 Bombay Sappers
    Naveen Chand Rawlley 1970 1972 12th Frontier Force Regiment [23]
    Om Prakash Malhotra May 1972 July 1974 Regiment of Artillery [24]
    Krishnaswamy Gowri Shankar 1984 1985 Corps of Signals [25]
    V K Nayar 1985 31 October 1987 Parachute Regiment[nb 1] [27]
    Bakshi Krishan Nath Chhibber July 1990 September 1992 9th Gorkha Rifles [28]
    Ved Prakash Malik August 1992 Sikh Light Infantry [29][6]
    H B Kala April 1995 Jat Regiment [30]
    Virendra Kumar Sewal Armoured Corps
    Kamal Davar March 2000 April 2001 7th Light Cavalry [31]
    Shantonu Choudhry April 2001 April 2002 Regiment of Artillery [32]
    Krishnamurthy Nagaraj Apr 2002 May 2003 Maratha Light Infantry [33]
    S Pattabhiraman May 2003 May 2004 Bombay Sappers [34][6]
    Parmendra Kumar Singh May 2004 May 2005 Regiment of Artillery [35]
    Mandhata Singh May 2005 April 2006 9th Gorkha Rifles [35]
    Noble Thamburaj May 2006 September 2007 Bombay Sappers [36]
    S S Kumar October 2007 August 2008 Brigade of the Guards [37]
    Virender Singh Tonk August 2008 July 2009 Rajput Regiment [38]
    Ramesh Halgali 24 July 2009 August 2010 Sikh Light Infantry [39]
    Munish Sibal August 2010 November 2011 Rajputana Rifles [40][41]
    Sanjeev Madhok November 2011 March 2013 Brigade of the Guards [42]
    Ashwini Kumar Bakshi March 2013 July 2014 Bihar Regiment [43]
    N P S Hira August 2014 31 July 2015 Sikh Light Infantry [44]
    Jagbir Singh Cheema 21 August 2015 31 August 2016 Sikh Regiment [45][46]
    B S Sahrawat 1 September 2016 2 November 2017 Kumaon Regiment [47]
    Dushyant Singh 2 November 2017 4 November 2018 Maratha Light Infantry [48]
    Arvind Dutta 5 November 2018 5 November 2019 Dogra Regiment [49]
    Sanjeev Sharma 6 November 2019 2 December 2020 Rajputana Rifles [50]
    C B Ponnappa 2 December 2020 10 February 2022 Mahar Regiment [51]
    Devendra Sharma 11 February 2022 15 May 2023 14th Horse (Scinde Horse) [52]
    Vijay B Nair 15 May 2023 30 June 2024 Punjab Regiment [53]
    Ajay Chandpuria 1 July 2024 Incumbent Dogra Regiment [54]

    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).[26]

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