Lt Gen C Bansi Ponnappa is new GOC Vajra Corps
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, December 2
Lieut Gen C Bansi Ponnappa today took over the charge as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Vajra Corps (Defenders of Punjab).
He was the Chief of Staff at Headquarters Northern Command prior to assuming command of the Vajra Corps. He was commissioned in the 2nd Battalion the Mahar Regiment in June 1985, after training in NDA and IMA where he had excelled. He is also an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, College of Defence Management, Secunderabad and National Defence College, Delhi.
Lieut Ponnappa has served in varied operational environments, including counter-insurgency, along the Line of Control and counter-terrorism operations and two UN Peace Keeping Missions. He commanded his battalion in both desert/ amphibious and counter-terrorism environment. He has commanded an Infantry Brigade in Jammu & Kashmir along the Line of Control, the Indian Brigade in Monusco (Congo) and thereafter an Infantry Division along the Line of Control. He has served with a Mech Infantry Battalion and has also served in the UN Mission in Somalia. He is the current Colonel of the Mahar Regiment.
The General Officer has held various prestigious staff appointments in Military Secretary Branch, as Brigade Major of an Independent Armoured Brigade, Colonel General Staff (Operations) of an Infantry Division in J&K, in the Acquisition Wing of MoD and Administrative and Coordination Branch of Army HQ. He has also been an instructor at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.
In his over 35 years of service, he has been a recipient of Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, COAS Commendation Card and GOC-in-C Southern Command Commendation Card.
