Gagan Deep Bakshi

Major General Gagan Deep Bakshi (born 1950) is a retired officer of the Indian Army.

Early life and education

G. D. Bakshi was born in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh into a Mohyal Brahmin family, to S. P. Bakshi, who was the Chief Education Officer of the Jammu & Kashmir State Forces. He studied at St. Aloysius Senior Secondary School, Jabalpur. He later went on to command that unit. He was posted in Punjab during the height of Sikh militancy. As a commanding officer (then Lt Col), he led his Sikh troops against khalisthani militants and worked to maintain unit cohesion and local support.

Bakshi was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal for commanding a battalion in Kaksar, that falls in Drass, Kargil sector during 1987 border skirmishes. Later, he was awarded the Sena Medal for distinguished service in commanding a battalion during counter-insurgency drives.

Bakshi subsequently commanded the Romeo Force (Part of Rashtriya Rifles) during intensive counter-insurgency operations in the Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir and succeeded in suppressing the armed militancy in this area. He organized village defence committees and employed aggressive tactics to suppress insurgents. His efforts brought an end to major civilian killings and allowed displaced villagers to return. Bakshi served two tenures at the Directorate General of Military Operations and was the first BGS (IW) at the Northern Command, where he dealt with Information Warfare and Psychological Operations. He retired in 2008.

Awards and decorations