Cyrus Addie Pithawalla

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Major General Cyrus Addie Pithawalla AC, VSM, is a former General officer of the Indian Army. He was awarded India's highest peacetime decoration for gallantry, the Ashok Chakra, in 1981,[1] and by virtue of this is one of the most decorated flag officers in the history of the Indian Armed Forces (the Ashoka Chakra ranks above all other Indian decorations excepting the Param Vir Chakra, its wartime equivalent, and the Bharat Ratna). He is an alumnus of Officers Training Academy, Chennai

Early life

Pithawalla was born in Bengaluru on 13 January 1957 and was educated at the Air Force School, Delhi.

Career

After graduating with degrees in Commerce from Delhi University, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on a short-service commission into the 17th battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles on 1 September 1979.[2][3][4] On 1 September 1984, he received a regular commission as a lieutenant.[5]

On 1 August 2008, Pithawalla became the first recipient of either the Param Vir Chakra or the Ashoka Chakra to attain the one-star rank of Brigadier.[6] Upon promotion to the rank of Major General on 20 January 2013,[7] he became the first Ashoka Chakra recipient to attain the rank of a general officer in a Two-star rank.[8] As a major general, he was posted as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) Andhra Sub Area.

In his 35-year career, he held various instructional, staff and command positions across India. In addition to this, he served as a Military observer in Cambodia as part of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia mission. He also served as the Deputy Commander of an Infantry Brigade Group in the UN Mission at the Democratic Republic of Congo.[9]

Ashoka Chakra

Pithawalla was awarded the Ashok Chakra in 1981 for a counter-insurgency operation in Manipur.[10] His Ashok Chakra Citation reads as follows:[11]

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Awards and decorations

File:Ashoka Chakra ribbon.svg File:Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg File:Wound Medal-India.svg File:IND Samanya Seva medal.svg
File:IND Special Service Medal Ribbon.svg File:IND Operation Vijay medal.svg File:IND Operation Parakram medal.svg File:IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg
File:IND High Altitude Medal Ribbon.svg File:IND Videsh Seva Medal Ribbon.svg File:IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg File:IND 30 Years Long Service Ribbon.svg
File:IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg File:IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg File:UNTAC Medal bar.gif File:MONUC Medal bar.gif
Ashok Chakra Vishisht Seva Medal Wound Medal Samanya Seva Medal
Special Service Medal Operation Vijay Medal Operation Parakram Medal Sainya Seva Medal
High Altitude Service Medal Videsh Seva Medal 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal 30 Years Long Service Medal
20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal UN Mission in Cambodia UN Mission in Congo

Dates of rank

Insignia Rank Component Date of rank
File:Second Lieutenant of the Indian Army.svg Second Lieutenant Indian Army 1 September 1979 (short-service commission)[2]
1 September 1984 (regular commission, with seniority from 30 April 1980 but for increments of pay from 1 September 1979)[5]
File:Lieutenant of the Indian Army.svg Lieutenant Indian Army 1 September 1981 (short-service commission)[12]
1 September 1984 (regular commission, with seniority from 30 April 1982)[5]
File:Captain of the Indian Army.svg Captain Indian Army 30 April 1985[13]
File:Major of the Indian Army.svg Major Indian Army 30 April 1991[14]
File:Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army.svg Lieutenant-Colonel Indian Army 31 December 2002[15]
File:Colonel of the Indian Army.svg Colonel Indian Army 1 February 2005[16]
File:Brigadier of the Indian Army.svg Brigadier Indian Army 1 August 2008 (seniority from 4 January 2008)[6]
File:Major General of the Indian Army.svg Major General Indian Army 20 January 2013 (seniority from 2 April 2011)[7]

References

  1. ↑ Cyrus Pithawala, an Ashok Chakra awardee is now a Major General. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 [{{{url}}} Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)](19 April 1980).
  3. ↑ Brig Pithawalla first Ashok Chakra awardee to become Maj Gen.
  4. ↑ Bravest of the Brave - Heroes of the Indian Army.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 [{{{url}}} Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)](30 March 1985).
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 [{{{url}}} Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)](10 April 2010).
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 [{{{url}}} Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)](22 March 2014).
  8. ↑ Highest gallantry award winner breaches rank ceiling.
  9. ↑ Maj. Gen. Pithawalla retires.
  10. ↑ 2/LT CYRUS ADDIE PITHAWALLA.
  11. ↑ 2/Lt Cyrus Addie Pithwalla, AC, 17 JAK RIF.
  12. ↑ [{{{url}}} Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)](9 January 1982).
  13. ↑ [{{{url}}} Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)](9 August 1986).
  14. ↑ [{{{url}}} Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)](25 April 1992).
  15. ↑ [{{{url}}} Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)](31 July 2004).
  16. ↑ [{{{url}}} Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)](25 March 2006).

Template:Ashoka Chakra award recipients

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