Manpreet Singh, KC, SM

Biography

Colonel Manpreet Singh was born in 1982 in Amritsar, Punjab, into a family with a strong military tradition, with his father, grandfather and uncle all having served in the Army. A meritorious student, he completed his schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya Mullanpur in SAS Nagar, earned a B.Com from SD College Chandigarh, and qualified as a Chartered Accountant, working in that field for a few years. Driven by his lifelong wish to serve the nation, he cleared the Combined Defence Services examination in 2004, trained at the IMA Dehradun, and was commissioned in 2005 into the 12 Sikh Light Infantry. A dedicated soldier with a keen passion for photography, he later served with 19 Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu & Kashmir, rising to become its Commanding Officer. In 2021, as a Lieutenant Colonel, he was awarded the Sena Medal for gallantry. On the night of 12/13 September 2023, he led a joint operation against hardcore terrorists in the dense forests near Gadole village, Kokernag, in Anantnag district. During the ensuing gunfight he was critically wounded and succumbed to his injuries on 13 September 2023 at the age of 41. For his outstanding courage and supreme sacrifice, he was awarded the Kirti Chakra.