Saurabh Singh Shekhawat

Brigadier Saurabh Singh Shekhawat, KC, SC, SM, VSM is a former Indian Army officer of the 21 Para (SF) and an avid mountaineer. He is the Indian Army's most decorated officer, with one war-time gallantry award and two peace-time gallantry awards to his name.

Early life Shekhawat was born in a hindu Rajput family on 18 October 1970 in Alwar, Rajasthan. His father’s name is Jaswant Singh Shekhawat and mother's name is Shraddha Chauhan, a DLit and PhD.

Career

Military career

Shekhawat was commissioned in the 17th Battalion of the Maratha Light Infantry as a second lieutenant from Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, on 11 June 1994. Later he joined 21 Maratha Light Infantry which was being converted to 21 Para (SF). He was promoted lieutenant on 11 June 1996, captain on 11 June 1999 and major on 11 June 2004. He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier in March 2020.

Mountaineering Career

Shekhawat has ascended Mount Everest three times in 2001, 2003 and 2005. He has also climbed Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, and Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps and Western Europe. In October 2009, he led the joint Indo-Kazakh team to scale the Kazakhstan peak of Marble Wall peak in Kazakhstan He has climbed 14 peaks in the world till date. On 23 June 2022, a 55 men Indian Army expedition team, led by Shekhawat, successfully scaled the climb to Shahi Kangri.

Shaurya Chakra Citation The Shaurya Chakra citation reads as follows:

Kirti Chakra Citation The Kirti Chakra citation reads as follows:

Controversies Victimization claim In 2017, Shekhawat filed a complaint to the Ministry of Defence accusing two former army chiefs, Gen. Bikram Singh and Gen. Dalbir Singh, and a senior serving officer, Lt. Gen. Abhay Krishna of victimising him. Shekhawat claimed he was denied promotion because of lackluster reviews in annual confidential reports given to him as retaliation. Shekhawat claimed the trigger for the victimisation was his report made officially to the Army about a dacoity in Jorhat of a private citizen's residence involving personnel of the 3 Corps Counter Intelligence and Surveillance Unit in December 2011. At the time of the robbery, Gen. Dalbir Singh was then Commander of 3 Corps and Lt. Gen. Abhay Krishna was then Shekhawat's brigadier general staff (operations). Shekhawat claimed Krishna acted on Gen. Dalbir Singh's behalf to give him poor performance reviews.

Awards

Kirti ChakraShaurya ChakraSena MedalVishisht Seva MedalSamanya Seva Medal Operation Vijay Star Special Service Medal Siachen Glacier Medal Operation Vijay Medal Operation Parakram Medal Sainya Seva Medal High Altitude Service Medal Videsh Seva Medal 75th Independence Anniversary Medal 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal 20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal MONUSCO

Shekhawat has been awarded the Kirti Chakra, the Shaurya Chakra, Sena Medal (Gallantry), Vishisht Seva Medal and the Samanya Seva Medal Shekhawat in a letter to Army headquarters in 2017 referred to himself as the "highest decorated serving officer in the army with an unblemished operational profile."

Dates of ranks

Personal life Shekhawat is married to Renuka Shekhawat, a professor of Sanskrit at Rajasthan University.