Bhopinder Singh

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 from January to September 2005. He also served as General Officer Commanding of 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.

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. He served as the military, naval, and air attaché for East and Southern Africa, headquartered in Addis Ababa. He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2000 and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2004 for distinguished service.

Post-retirement After retiring in 2005, Thakur remained active in veteran affairs and participated in various events. Notably, in June 2022, he addressed veterans during the conclusion of an Indian Army motorcycle expedition in Manali, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the 21 Sub Area.

In the year 2017, he published his book Bayoneting with Opinions and in 2019 published another book Continuing Opinions in Difficult Times.

Awards and decorations Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM)