Mandeep Singh

Biography

Captain Mandeep Singh was born on 19 May 1969 in Jalandhar, Punjab. He studied at Guru Nanak Dev University and was active in various pursuits during his college years at DAV College and Khalsa College, where he developed a keen interest in bodybuilding and competed in several contests, including Mr Punjab and Mr Jalandhar. Drawn to army life since childhood, he cleared the Combined Defence Services examination and was commissioned in 1991 into the Air Defence Artillery Corps, joining 49 Air Defence. After serving with his regiment at various locations, he was deputed to the Rashtriya Rifles in 1998. During the Kargil conflict, Captain Mandeep Singh was attached to 4 Rashtriya Rifles, deployed for counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir. On 6 August 1999, at around 1:15 am, a heavily armed group of militants attacked the 4 RR army camp at Chak Nutnusa village in Kupwara district. As company commander, Captain Mandeep sprang into action and led his men in an effective counter-attack. During the intense exchange of fire, he was struck by a bullet in the left infraclavicular region of his chest and laid down his life for the nation.