General Shankar Roychowdhury is a former Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army, and a former member of the Indian Parliament.
13 Facts About Shankar Roychowdhury
2.
General Roychowdhury was born in Kolkata, West Bengal, India into the Zamindar family of Taki, a Bengali family, on 6 September 1937.
3.
Shankar Roychowdhury received his schooling at St Xavier's Collegiate School in Kolkata and later at Wynberg Allen School, Mussoorie and St George's College, Mussoorie.
4.
Shankar Roychowdhury then became a cadet in the Joint Services Wing of the Indian Armed Forces in 1953.
5.
General Shankar Roychowdhury was commissioned into the 20 Lancers of the Indian Army Armoured Corps on 9 June 1957, after graduating from the Indian Military Academy.
6.
Shankar Roychowdhury took part in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 in the Chamb-Jaurian sector, and in Jessore and Khulna during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.
7.
Shankar Roychowdhury commanded the 20 Lancers from 1974 to 1976, an Independent Armoured Brigade from December 1980 to July 1983, and an Armoured Division from May 1988 to May 1990.
8.
Shankar Roychowdhury subsequently commanded the 16 Corps in Jammu and Kashmir from 1991 to 1992.
9.
Shankar Roychowdhury was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service to the Indian Army and the nation.
10.
Shankar Roychowdhury took over as GOC-in-C, Army Training Command in August 1992.
11.
Shankar Roychowdhury assumed charge of the Indian Army as the 18th Chief of Army Staff on 22 November 1994, upon the untimely death of his predecessor, General BC Joshi.
12.
Shankar Roychowdhury retired from the Indian Army on 30 September 1997, after 40 years of military service.
13.
Shankar Roychowdhury's autobiography titled Officially at Peace was published by Penguin Books in 2002.