Leonuqs at 14:28, 24 April 2026

2026-04-24T14:28:43Z

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{{Short description|Retired Indian military general}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Bhupinder Singh Thakur
| honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant general (India)|Lieutenant General]]
| honorific_suffix = [[PVSM]], [[AVSM]]
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1946|03|20}}
| allegiance = {{flag|India}}
| branch = {{army|India}}
| service_years = 1965–2005
| rank = [[File:Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.svg|22px]] [[Lieutenant general (India)|Lieutenant General]]
| unit = Central India Horse
| commands = * [[II Corps (India)]]
*Director General, Assam Rifles
*Military Attaché to East and Southern Africa
| office1 = Vice Chief of the Army Staff
| term_start1 = 15 January 2005
| term_end1 = 30 September 2005
| predecessor1 = Lt Gen [[Shantanu Choudhry]]
| successor1 = Lt Gen [[S. Pattabhiraman (officer)|S. Pattabhiraman]]
| office2 = [[List of lieutenant governors of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands|Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]
| term_start2 = 29 December 2006
| term_end2 = 30 June 2013
| appointer2 = [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]]
| predecessor2 = [[Madan Mohan Lakhera]]
| successor2 = [[A. K. Singh]]
| office3 = [[List of lieutenant governors of Puducherry|Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry]]
| term_start3 = 15 March 2008
| term_end3 = 22 July 2008
| appointer3 = [[Pratibha Patil]]
| status3 = Additional charge
| predecessor3 = [[Mukut Mithi]]
| successor3 = [[Govind Singh Gurjar]]
| 1blankname3 = Chief Minister
| 1namedata3 = [[N. Rangaswamy]]
| battles =
| awards = *[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
*[[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]]
}}
[[Lieutenant general (India)|Lieutenant General]]''' Bhupinder Singh Thakur''' [[PVSM]], [[AVSM]] (born 20 March 1946), or '''Bhopinder Singh''', is a retired officer of the [[Indian Army]] who served as the 26th [[Vice Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Vice Chief of the Army Staff]] from January to September 2005. He also served as General Officer Commanding of [[II Corps (India)|II Corps]], Director General of the [[Assam Rifles]] and Lieutenant Governor of The [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]. He was the former military secretary to president [[K. R. Narayanan]] and to President [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]]. He was the former military, naval and air attaché for [[East]] and [[Southern Africa]] headquartered at [[Addis Ababa]]. He currently resides in [[Chandigarh]] in India.

== Early life and education ==
Thakur was born on 20 March 1946. He is an alumnus of the [[National Defence Academy]] and was commissioned into the Central India Horse regiment of the Armoured Corps on 27 June 1965.<ref name="PIB">{{cite web |title=Lt Gen Bhupender Singh Thakur Vice Chief of Army Staff retires |url=https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/erelcontent.aspx?relid=12392 |publisher=Press Information Bureau |date=30 September 2005 |access-date=17 May 2025}}</ref>

== Military career ==
Throughout his career, Thakur held various prestigious appointments:
Early in his career, he served as the Brigade Major, a key operational staff officer role.<ref name="PIB" />
He was responsible for planning and coordinating operations in a desert terrain.<ref name="PIB" />
He served as the Chief of Staff at the Army Training Command, overseeing training doctrines and policies.<ref name="PIB" />
As the head of the Assam Rifles, he initiated programs addressing health issues like HIV/AIDS among troops and local populations, collaborating with organizations such as UNAIDS and the Assam AIDS Prevention Society.<ref name="Maitri">{{cite web |title=Bhopinder Singh |date=28 August 2018 |url=https://www.maitriindia.org/board-of-members/bhopinder-singh/ |publisher=Maitri India |access-date=17 May 2025}}</ref>
He served as the military, naval, and air attaché for East and Southern Africa, headquartered in Addis Ababa.<ref name="PartnersPopdev">{{cite web |title=Biography - Mr. Bhopinder Singh |url=https://partners-popdev.org/ageing/tag_bio/BhopinderSingh.htm |access-date=17 May 2025}}</ref>
He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2000 and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2004 for distinguished service.<ref name="PIB" />

== Vice Chief of the Army Staff ==
Thakur served as the [[Vice Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Vice Chief of the Army Staff]] from 15 January 2005 to 30 September 2005. In this capacity, he was responsible for fine-tuning strategic and operational concepts of the Army and providing impetus to [[Modernization theory|modernization]] plans.<ref name="PIB" />

==Andaman and Nicobar Islands==
He was the former Lieutenant Governor of the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]. Following the resignation of [[Mukut Mithi]] as [[List of lieutenant governors of Puducherry|Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry]], Singh was appointed to replace him on 13 March 2008 and sworn in on 15 March.<ref>[http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200803151424.htm "Bhopinder Singh sworn as Lt Governor of Puducherry"], PTI (''The Hindu''), 15 March 2008.</ref>

== Post-retirement ==
After retiring in 2005, Thakur remained active in veteran affairs and participated in various events. Notably, in June 2022, he addressed [[veteran]]s during the conclusion of an Indian Army motorcycle expedition in [[Manali, Himachal Pradesh|Manali]], commemorating the 60th anniversary of the 21 Sub Area.<ref name="Tribune2022">{{cite news |title=Army expedition concludes in Manali |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/army-expedition-concludes-in-manali-404865/ |work=The Tribune |date=18 June 2022 |access-date=17 May 2025}}</ref>

In the year 2017, he published his book ''Bayoneting with Opinions'' and in 2019 published another book ''Continuing Opinions in Difficult Times''. {{citation needed|date=August 2025}}

== Awards and decorations ==
* [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] (PVSM)
* [[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]] (AVSM)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930024050/http://www.and.nic.in/bhopinder-profile.htm Profile on Andaman ad Nicobar website]

{{s-start}}
{{s-gov}}
{{s-bef| before=[[Madan Mohan Lakhera]], ''acting''}}
{{s-ttl| title=[[Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] | years=2006—2013}}
{{s-aft| after=[[A. K. Singh]]}}
{{end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thakur, Bhupinder Singh}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian generals]]
[[Category:Indian military personnel]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian military personnel]]

Bhupinder Singh Thakur - Revision history

Leonuqs at 14:28, 24 April 2026