Raj Shukla

Lieutenant General in the Indian Army

Lieutenant General (Retd.)

Raj Shukla

PVSM,YSM, SM, ADC
Allegiance India
Service/branch Indian Army
Years of serviceDecember 1982 – 31 March 2022
Rank Lieutenant General
Service numberIC-40685A[1]
UnitRegiment of Artillery
Commands held Army Training Command
Army War College, Mhow
X Corps
Awards Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Yudh Seva Medal
Sena Medal

Lieutenant General Raj Shukla, PVSM,YSM, SM, ADC is a retired General Officer of the Indian Army who served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Army Training Command (GOC-in-C ARTRAC). He assumed office on 1 May 2020, succeeding Lt Gen P C Thimayya. He superannuated on 31 March 2022.[2][3] Presently he is a member of UPSC.[4]

Early life and education

Shukla is an alumnus of Uttar Pradesh Sainik School Lucknow , National Defence Academy Khadakwasla Pune and Indian Military Academy. Shukla was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery in December 1982.[5] He has also attended the Defence Services Staff College, the Higher Defence Management Course at the College of Defence Management and the National Defence College.[6]

Career

Shukla has commanded a Medium Regiment in the Eastern theatre as part of a Mountain Division. He later took the regiment to the Desert as part of a Strike Corps.[7] He has also commanded an Infantry brigade in Counter-insurgency operations and an infantry division in the Kashmir Valley, along the Line of Control.[8] He is a qualified aviator and has flown along the borders in Sikkim and in the North–East.[7]

In his staff appointments, Shukla has served as the General Staff Officer, Grade I (GSO-I) of an infantry division as well as two tenures in the Military Operations directorate at Army Headquarters.[8] He has also served in instructional appointments in the School of Artillery and the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan.[7]

On 5 July 2018, Shukla took command of the X Corps at Bhatinda from Lt Gen P C Thimayya.[9] After an year's stint at the helm of X Corps, he relinquished command on 30 July 2019, handing over to Lt Gen Ajai Singh. He subsequently took over as the Director General Perspective Planning (DGPP) at Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence.[10]

On 1 May 2020, Shukla took over as the General Officer Commanding-in Chief Army Training Command from Lt Gen P C Thimayya.[8]

Shukla has been a Research Fellow at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses and a visiting fellow at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies.[11]

Military awards and decorations

He is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal and the Sena Medal.[11]

Param Vishist Seva Medal Yudh Seva Medal Sena Medal
Samanya Seva Medal Special Service Medal Operation Vijay Star Operation Vijay Medal
Operation Parakram Medal Sainya Seva Medal High Altitude Service Medal Videsh Seva Medal
50th Anniversary of Independence Medal 30 Years Long Service Medal 20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal

Dates of rank

Insignia Rank Component Date of rank
Second Lieutenant Indian Army 24 December 1982[1]
Lieutenant Indian Army 24 December 1984
Captain Indian Army 24 December 1987[12]
Major Indian Army 24 December 1993[13]
Lieutenant-Colonel Indian Army 16 December 2004[14]
Colonel Indian Army 1 March 2006[15]
Brigadier Indian Army 7 May 2010 (substantive, seniority from 22 January 2009)[16]
Major General Indian Army 1 June 2015 (substantive, seniority from 10 June 2012)[17]
Lieutenant-General Indian Army 1 September 2017[18]

References

  1. ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 3 November 1984. p. 1810.
  2. ^ "New leaders take command as Army sees series of changes". The Hindu. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Lt Gen SS Mahal assumes charge of Army Training Command, Shimla". ANI News. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  4. ^ "UPSC". Union Public Service Commission. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  5. ^ Service, Tribune News. "Lt Gen Shukla assumes charge of ARTRAC". Tribuneindia News Service.
  6. ^ Jammu, Greater (1 May 2020). "Lt Gen Raj Shukla, assumes command of the ARTRAC - Greater Jammu || The Daily News Paper". Greater Jammu || The Daily News Paper.
  7. ^ a b c "Background". idsa.in.
  8. ^ a b c "Press Information Bureau". pibarchive.nic.in.
  9. ^ "Lt General PC Thimmaya moves to Mhow war college". tribuneindia.com.
  10. ^ Service, Tribune News. "Lt Gen Ajai Singh takes charge of Chetak Corps". Tribuneindia News Service.
  11. ^ a b "Raj Shukla - ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival". jaipurliteraturefestival.org/. 17 September 2013.
  12. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 26 November 1988. p. 1723.
  13. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 14 May 1994. p. 939.
  14. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 15 October 2005. p. 1895.
  15. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 21 April 2007. p. 635.
  16. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 16 February 2013. p. 274.
  17. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 21 May 2016. p. 1310.
  18. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 9 February 2019. p. 393.
Military offices
Preceded by General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Army Training Command
1 May 2020 – 31 March 2022 		Succeeded by
General Officer Commanding X Corps
June 2018 - July 2019 		Succeeded by
Ajai Singh