Manoj Kumar Pandey

Early life Manoj was born on 25 June 1975 in Rudha village, in the Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh in a Kanyakubja Brahmin family. He was born to Gopi Chand Pandey, a small-town businessman living in Lucknow, and Mohini. He was the eldest child, and was educated at Uttar Pradesh Sainik School, Lucknow and Rani Laxmi Bai Memorial Senior Secondary School. He had a keen interest in sports with boxing and body building in particular. He was adjudged the best cadet of junior division NCC of Uttar Pradesh directorate in 1990.

Prior to his selection, during his Services Selection Board (SSB) interview, the interviewer asked him, "Why do you want to join the Army?" He replied, "I want to win the Param Vir Chakra." Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey did win the country's highest gallantry honour but posthumously.

Military career

He graduated from the National Defence Academy in 90th course and belonged to Mike Squadron (Mustangs). Pandey was commissioned as a lieutenant in the 1st battalion, 11th Gorkha Rifles on 7 June 1997.

Kargil War In early May, the intrusion in the Kargil sector was reported. The 1/11 Gorkha Rifles battalion had finished a one-and-a-half year tenure in the Siachen Glacier and was on-the-move to its peace-time location in Pune. The battalion was asked to move to the Batalik sector in Kargil. It was among the first units to be inducted into this sector. The unit, commanded by Colonel Lalit Rai, was assigned responsibility of the Jubar, Kukarthaam and Khalubar areas and their battalion headquarters was in Yeldor.

Pandey, as part of the battalion, was involved in a series of attacks, including those which led to the capture of Jubar Top. Manoj Pandey martyred securing the Dras Valley.

Param Vir Chakra Action

In early July, 'B' Company of 1/11 GR was assigned the task to capture Khalubar top. Pandey was commanding a Platoon in this company. Quickly sizing up the situation, he killed two enemy personnel and destroyed the second position by killing two more.

Although wounded in the shoulder and leg, he pressed on his solitary charge with serious determination, until he closed in on the first bunker. The two armies engaged in a ferocious, hand-to-hand combat. The troops charged at the enemy and fell upon them. Undaunted and without caring for his grievous injuries, he continued to lead the assault on the fourth position urging his men and destroyed the same with a grenade, even as he got a fatal burst on his forehead. He collapsed at the final bunker and succumbed to his injuries.

Gallantry award ceremony On the occasion of Independence Day 1999, a month after the war ended, the President of India approved the award of the Param Vir Chakra to Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey and three others - Captain Vikram Batra, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar and Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav. His father, Gopichand Pandey, received the award from the President of India K. R. Narayanan during the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi on 26 January 2000.

Honours and legacy

Pandey is one of the 21 individuals who have been decorated with India's highest military honour. As a PVC awardee, his statue is at the Param Yodha Sthal at the National War Memorial.

Balidan Stambh, the war memorial in Jammu in 2009 paid tribute to him by inscribing his name on the pillars erected in semi circumference for the martyrs of the 1947-48 war. His name is displayed near the eternal flame and as relief mural on the semi circumference wall with the Param Vir Chakra awardees who attained martyrdom in Jammu and Kashmir.

After his death, multiple places have been named after him including his almae matres.

Rani Laxmi Bai Memorial Senior Secondary School

They constructed an auditorium in his name, which was inaugurated by his parents.

UP Sainik School

Pandey's alma mater, the Uttar Pradesh Sainik School, Lucknow was renamed after its most illustrious alumnus. It is now called CAPTAIN MANOJ KUMAR PANDEY U.P. SAINIK SCHOOL, LUCKNOW. An auditorium in the school was named after him. Its foundation stone was laid by General VK Singh in 2011. The school conducts an inter-school football tournament annually - 'Late Capt. Manoj Kr. Pandey PVC Football Tournament Trophy'. The main gate was named after him.

National Defence Academy The National Defence Academy named the science block as the "Manoj Pandey Block". His portrait hangs at the Mike squadron of the academy. The army quarters near the Cardio Thoracic Center (CTC) hospital in Pune is named after Martyr Capt Manoj Pandey as "Capt. Manoj Pandey Enclave" A roundabout is also named after Martyr Capt.Manoj Pandey as "Captain Manoj Pandey Chowk" in his home district Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh and center of Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. A gallery in the Kargil War Museum at Dras is named after him. Gen MM Naravane dedicated a memorial to Capt Manoj Pandey, at his native village Rura on 19 March 2021 Officers Training Academy Cadets mess is named as Capt Manoj Pandey mess

In popular culture A graphic novel titled Param Vir Chakra by Amar Chitra Katha dedicated their eighteenths story written by Prabha Nair and drawn by Harsh Mohan Chattoraj in 2015 A graphic novel titled Param Vir Chakra Manoj Kumar Pandey by Roli Books written by Ian Cardozo and drawn by Rishi Kumar in 2019 He was portrayed by Ajay Devgn in the film LOC: Kargil.