Kargil War hero Lieutenant General Y K Joshi hanged his boots as the Northern Command chief on Monday after serving at various strategic postings in the Indian Army during his distinguished career spanning 40 years. The Army said Lt Gen. Joshi will continue to inspire the future generations of officers to emulate his sterling qualities, firm resolve to follow the righteous path under all circumstances, sense of justice and strategic thinking as a general and a statesman.
Lt Gen. Joshi was appointed as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Northern Command at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir on February 1, 2020.
Commissioned to the Army’s 13 JAK Rifles unit, which was nicknamed as the “bravest of the brave”, on June 12, 1982, the illustrious officer earned widespread appreciation in the Kargil War and for initiating the Army’s outreach programme for youngsters in Kashmir during his tenure as the Northern Command chief.
Lt Gen. Joshi has had command experience spanning the entire mosaic, covering all theatres. He commanded 13 JAK Rifles in Operation Vijay (Kargil War) and Operation Parakram.
The GOC-in-C caught the attention of the nation during the Kargil War with his outstanding leadership and led his unit to unprecedented success.
“In Operation Vijay under his command, the unit was awarded with a total of 37 gallantry awards, including two Param Vir Chakra, eight Vir Chakra and 14 sena medals”, a defence spokesperson said.
Lt Gen. Joshi himself was awarded Vir Chakra and Captain Vikram Batra of his unit was awarded Param Vir Chakra.
Lt Gen. Joshi has been portrayed in films twice — by actor Sanjay Dutt in LOC: Kargil (2003) and by actor Shataf Figar in Shershah (2021). He has been the face of the Indian success in Operation Vijay and Operation Snow Leopard, and has become part of military folklore for his role as a charismatic and enlightened leader, former Army officials said.
The unit has also been awarded with the Chief of Army Staff Unit Citation and the “Bravest of Brave” award, the spokesperson said.
Lt Gen. Joshi served in Ladakh for a long period as he commanded an infantry brigade in Tangtse, an infantry division in Karu and the Leh-based 14 Corps. He also served as the director general, infantry and was instrumental in catalysing the modernisation drive of the infantry.
He was the chief of staff of the Northern Command before taking over the reigns of the Northern Command as its commander.
Being an epitome of a “scholar warrior”, he attended the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington and was posted to the Military Operations Directorate. Since then, he served in the Military Operations Directorate thrice in various capacities, which enriched his professional competencies in the operational paradigm to include both putative adversaries of India — China and Pakistan.
Lt Gen. Joshi is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla and a postgraduate from the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. He also attended the prestigious National Defence College Course in New Delhi, the spokesperson said in a statement.
“He has had tenures as an instructor at the Infantry School, Mhow and varied staff exposure, including staff appointment at the Military Operations Directorate and as a Defence Attache to Beijing (China). He has also served as a Military Observer in the United Nations, Angola,” he added.
He is a seasoned professional with four decades of military leadership in the field of national security, planning and management of military operations at the national level, disaster management, macro-level training of the Indian Army and management of conventional and sub-conventional conflicts in the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in high-altitude as well as super-high altitude terrain conditions, the defence spokesperson said.
“The General Officer was given an emotional send-off by the Northern Command through a simple farewell ceremony.
“As part of the ceremony, he laid a wreath at the Dhruva war Memorial in remembrance of all the soldiers of the Northern Command who laid down their lives in various operations. Lieutenant General YK Joshi will keep on inspiring the officers of the Indian Army in the times to come,” he added.