Om Prakash Malhotra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
General
Om Prakash Malhotra
PVSM
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 21st Governor of Punjab and 8th Administrator of Chandigarh | |
| In office 18 December 1990 – 7 August 1991 |
|
| President | R. Venkataraman |
| Chief Minister | Vacant (President's rule) |
| Preceded by | Virendra Verma |
| Succeeded by | Surendra Nath |
| 13th Indian Ambassador to Indonesia | |
| In office February 1982 – November 1984 |
|
| Preceded by | S. K. Bhutani |
| Succeeded by | V. C. Khanna |
| 21st Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee | |
| In office 1 March 1979 – 31 May 1981 |
|
| President | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| Prime Minister | Morarji Desai Charan Singh Indira Gandhi |
| Preceded by | Jal Cursetji |
| Succeeded by | Idris Hasan Latif |
| 10th Chief of the Army Staff (India) | |
| In office 1 June 1978 – 31 May 1981 |
|
| President | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi Morarji Desai Charan Singh |
| Preceded by | Tapishwar Narain Raina |
| Succeeded by | K. V. Krishna Rao |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Om Prakash Malhotra
6 August 1922 Srinagar, J&K, India |
| Died | 29 December 2015 (aged 93) Gurgaon, Haryana, India |
| Citizenship |  British Indian (1922-47) Indian (1947-2015) |
| Nationality | British Indian (1922-47) Indian (1947-2015) |
| Spouse | Saroj Malhotra |
| Education | MHS Srinagar SPC Srinagar |
| Alma mater | GCU Lahore IMA Dera Doon RSA Larkhill |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  British India (1922 - 1947) India (1947 - 2015) |
| Branch/service |  British Indian Army (1941 - 1947) Indian Army (1947 - 1981) |
| Years of service | 1941–1981 |
| Rank |  General |
| Unit |
|
| Commands |
|
| Battles/wars |
|
| Service number | IC-478 |
| Award(s) |
|
General Om Prakash Malhotra, also known as OP Malhotra, was a very important army officer in the Indian Army. He was the 10th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1978 to 1981. After leaving the army, he worked as an Ambassador for India in Indonesia from 1981 to 1984. He also served as the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh from 1990 to 1991. He was born on August 6, 1922, and passed away on December 29, 2015.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Om Prakash Malhotra was born in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, British India, on August 6, 1922. His family belonged to the Punjabi Hindu Khatri group.
He went to school at Model High School and Sri Pratap College in Srinagar. Later, he studied at Government College University, Lahore. He was then chosen to join the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dera Doon, which is a famous military training school.
Military Career Highlights
Joining the Army
Om Prakash Malhotra joined the Regiment of Artillery in November 1941. He started as a Second Lieutenant. His first job was with a mountain artillery unit in Razmak.
World War II and Beyond
He fought in World War II against the Japanese in Burma. He was part of the 50th Parachute Brigade. He showed great bravery in the Battle of Sangshak, where he was wounded.
After the war, he became an instructor at the School of Artillery. In 1946, he went to the Royal School of Artillery in the United Kingdom for advanced training.
Commanding Artillery Regiments
Between 1950 and 1961, he led several artillery regiments across India. He also worked at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi. He attended the Defense Services Staff College and later taught there.
From 1962 to 1965, he served as India's Military and Naval Attaché to the USSR, and also to Poland and Hungary. This role meant he represented India's military interests in these countries.
Wars and Leadership Roles
When he returned to India in 1965, he led the 1 Artillery Brigade. He fought in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 in the Sialkot Sector. His leadership helped force Pakistan to move its forces.
After the war, he commanded the 167 Mountain Brigade. In 1967, he became an acting Major General and led the 36 Infantry Division for two years.
During the Bangladesh Liberation War (1971), he was the Chief of Staff for IV Corps. He played a key role in the Battle of Sialkot during this war. His artillery brigade's attack was very important.
He was promoted to Lieutenant-General in 1972 and commanded XI Corps. Later, he became the GOC-in-C (General Officer Commanding-in-Chief) of the Southern Command in Pune.
Chief of Army Staff
In 1976, he received the Param Vishist Seva Medal for his outstanding service. He became the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army on May 31, 1978. He held this top position for three years. He was also an Honorary General of the Nepalese Army.
Ambassador and Governor
After retiring from the Indian Army in 1981, General Malhotra became the Ambassador of India to Indonesia. He served in this role from 1981 to 1984.
From 1990 to 1991, he was the Governor of the Indian State of Punjab and the Administrator of Chandigarh. This was a difficult time due to unrest in the state. He resigned from his post when planned elections were postponed without warning. He felt very disappointed by this decision.
Life After Retirement
General Malhotra was a big fan of sports. In 1978, he became the Founder President of the Asian Equestrian Federation. He also served as the President of the Delhi Golf Club from 1979 to 1980.
He was President of the Equestrian Federation of India for nine years. He helped bring back the sport of Tent Pegging in India and across Asia. Thanks to his efforts, it was included in the Asian Games starting in 1981.
He was also involved in many charitable activities. He was a Founder Trustee of the Nehru Trust for Indian Collections at the Victoria & Albert Museum. He served as the President of India's largest NGO, the "National Association for the Blind" in New Delhi. He was also the Chairperson of the National Association for the Blind Centre For Blind Women & Disability Studies. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club of New Delhi and a Trustee of the Delhi Cheshire Homes.
General Malhotra also founded and chaired two charity organizations called Shiksha and Chikitsa.
Personal Life
General Malhotra was married to Saroj Malhotra. They had two children. His son, Ajai Malhotra, later became the Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation.
Death
General Om Prakash Malhotra passed away at his home in Gurugram on December 29, 2015. He was 93 years old. His funeral was held with full military honors on December 31, 2015. As a former Chief of Army Staff from the Regiment of Artillery, his body was carried to the funeral on an artillery gun carriage.
Honours and Awards
- 1976: Param Vishist Seva Medal for "service of the most exceptional order".
- 1977: Honorary Senior Colonel Commandant of the Regiment of Artillery.
- 1980: Honorary General of the Nepalese Army.
- 1994: Awarded the Degree of Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa by University of Jammu.
Images for kids
-
Second Lieutenant insignia
-
Lieutenant insignia
-
Captain insignia
-
Major insignia
-
Captain of the Indian Army insignia
-
Major of the Indian Army insignia
-
Lieutenant-Colonel of the Indian Army insignia
-
Colonel of the Indian Army insignia
-
Brigadier of the Indian Army insignia
-
Major General of the Indian Army insignia
-
Lieutenant-General of the Indian Army insignia
-
General of the Indian Army insignia
_OF-1a.svg){kind=small}
_OF-1b.svg){kind=small}
_OF-2.svg){kind=small}
_OF-3.svg){kind=small}
