Madan Mohan Lakhera

M. M. Lakhera

PVSM, AVSM, VSM

8th Governor of Mizoram
In office
25 July 2006 – 2 September 2011
Chief Minister| Zoramthanga
Lal Thanhawla
Preceded by| Amolak Rattan Kohli
Succeeded by| Vakkom Purushothaman
Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry
In office
7 July 2004 – 18 July 2006
Chief Minister| N. Rangaswamy
Preceded by| Nagendra Nath Jha
Succeeded by| Mukut Mithi
Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
(Additional Charge)
In office
12 February 2006 – 29 December 2006
Preceded by| Ramchandra "Ram" Kapse
Succeeded by| Bhopinder Singh
Personal details
Born|  (1937-10-21) 21 October 1937 (age 87)
Jakhand, United Provinces, British India
(Now in Uttarakhand, India)
Spouse| Pushpa Lakhera
Alma mater|

* Rashtriya Indian Military College
* National Defence Academy
* Indian Military Academy

Lt Gen (Ret.) Madan Mohan Lakhera, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (born 21 October 1937) is the former Governor of the Indian state of Mizoram. He held that position from July 2006 until September 2011. During 2004-2006, he was the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Puducherry, then known as Pondicherry. He has also served as the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while holding additional charge.[1][2]

## Education and early life

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Madan Mohan Lakhera was born in 1937 to a Brahmin family, in Village Jakhand, Tehri Garhwal, located in what is today the Indian state of Uttarakhand. He was educated at the prestigious Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun, and later, the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He was commissioned as an officer into the Indian Army from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, on 8 June 1958.[3] He also attended the elite Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Tamil Nadu.

## Army career

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### Early service

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During his service in the Indian Army, MM Lakhera participated in the 1961 liberation of Goa, and the Indo Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971 in the Jammu and Kashmir sector. He later attended the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington (South India) and the Long Gunnery Staff Course at the School of Artillery, Devlali. He also attended Senior Defence Management Course at College of Defence Management of Secundrabad. He served as an instructor at the School of Artillery from 1967–70, and subsequently at the Army War College from 1978–81. Eventually, Lieutenant Colonel (at the time) Lakhera rose to command the 4th Battation of the Kumaon Regiment in Jammu & Kashmir from December 1975 to July 1978.[4]

### Higher command

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On promotion to brigadier, Lakhera assumed command of a brigade at Kanpur. The formation took part in operation 'Blue Star' in Punjab in 1984 and also provided effective aid to Civil authority at Kanpur during 1984 riots. For his successful handling of these operations, (then) Brigadier Lakhera, was awarded the Chief of Army Staff's Commendation Card twice—i.e., on 15 January 1985 and 15 August 1985. He subsequently held the appointment of sub area commander in Kashmir valley, in the rank of brigadier, where besides being responsible for logistical support to forward troops, he was responsible for aid to civilian authorities in the sensitive Kashmir valley. For his successful efforts in performing varied tasks, and for his professional competence in the discharge of his duty, Lakhera was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India on 26 January 1990.[5]

Lakhera was promoted to major general in March 1990, and posted as chief of staff of the Kashmir Valley-based Corps Headquarters. He was actively involved in coordination of all counter-insurgency operations, including the sealing of the line of control in the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh Sector. At this stage, for his success in discharging his responsibilities, Major General Lakhera was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India on 26 January 1991. He subsequently commanded an infantry division.

In 1992, Lakhera was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, and was initially posted as Chief of Staff of Headquarters, Central Army Command. Besides other operational and administrative responsibilities, in the aftermath of the Ayodhya incident in December 1992, General Lakhera was responsible for coordinating army assistance to a beleaguered civil administration in the sensitive States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. He was subsequently posted as chief of staff, Headquarters, Northern Army Command, dealing with the volatile insurgency in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

In June, 1993, General Lakhera took over as Adjutant General of the Indian Army, where he was actively involved with policy framing on all aspects of Manpower Planning & Management including Defence civilians. The General also served as the colonel commandant of his parent Kumaon Regiment. For distinguished services of most exceptional order, he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India on 26 January 1995.

## Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry

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Lakhera took over as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry on 7 July 2004. He was, at the time, the first person from Garhwal Division to hold a gubernatorial appointment. As the lieutenant governor, he was involved in organizing the government machinery to come to the immediate aid of the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in Puducherry. He personally monitored the progress of relief and rehabilitation measures and took a personal interest in bringing about a definite and positive change in the life of the tsunami affected villagers.[6]

### Revival of Puducherry Panchayat elections

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Lakhera's tenure in Puducherry witnessed the conduct of Panchayat and municipal elections after a span of 38 years. Elections to the 12th Puducherry Legislative Assembly were also held during his tenure in a free and fair manner, and without any incident.[7]

## Additional charge as Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

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Lakhera was assigned additional charge as Lt. Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, administered the oath of office and the oath of secrecy on 29 November 2005.[8]

## Governor of Mizoram

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As Governor of Mizoram he took over as Governor of Mizoram from 25 July 2006. On assuming the appointment he visited all district headquarters to familiarize himself with the problems of the people on ground.[9]

## Family

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He is married to Pushpa Lakhera, a social activist, who has taken an active part in resolving the problems of women, particularly those of the Defence Service and Ex-Service family.

## Dates of rank

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Second lieutenant, Indian Army: June 1958

Lieutenant colonel, Indian Army: Dec 1975
Major-general, Indian Army: March 1990
Lieutenant-general, Indian Army: September 1992

## See also

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* Governor (India)
* List of current Indian governors
* List of governors of Mizoram

## References

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1. ^ Cellular Jail turns 100
2. ^ Congress gets majority in Mizoram, CM quits
3. ^ official biography Archived 12 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ official biography Archived 12 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ official biography Archived 12 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
6. ^ "::..Mizoram Legislative Assembly..::". Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
7. ^ "::..Mizoram Legislative Assembly..::". Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
8. ^ "::..Mizoram Legislative Assembly..::". Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
9. ^ "::..Mizoram Legislative Assembly..::". Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2010.

Government offices

Preceded by

Nagendra Nath Jha

|  Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry
2004–2006  | Succeeded by

Mukut Mithi

Preceded by

Ramchandra "Ram" Kapse

|  Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, acting
2006  | Succeeded by

Bhopinder Singh

* v
* t
* e

Governors of Mizoram

(Union Territory 1972–1986)|

* S. P. Mukherjee
* S. K. Chibber
* N. P. Mathur
* S. N. Kohli
* H. S. Dubey
* Hiteswar Saikia

(State since 1986)|

* Hiteswar Saikia
* General K. V. Krishna Rao
* Williamson A. Sangma
* Swaraj Kaushal
* Paty Ripple Kyndiah
* Arun Prasad Mukherjee
* A. Padmanabhan
* Ved Marwah
* Amolak Rattan Kohli
* Lt. Gen (Retd) Madan Mohan Lakhera
* Vakkom Purushothaman
* Kamla Beniwal
* Vinod Kumar Duggal
* Krishan Kant Paul
* Aziz Qureshi
* Keshari Nath Tripathi
* Nirbhay Sharma
* Kummanam Rajasekharan
* Jagdish Mukhi
* P. S. Sreedharan Pillai

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