Jeevan Singh Rathore

Biography

Rifleman Jeevan Singh Rathore hailed from Rohan village in the Sirsa district of Haryana. The son of Shri Sukhdev Singh and Smt Golo Kaur, he was the only brother among four sisters. Passionate about the armed forces from his younger days, he realised his dream in 2016 when he was selected and joined the Indian Army. He was recruited into the 8th Battalion of the Rajputana Rifles, the oldest Rifle regiment of the Indian Army, headquartered at New Delhi. After serving for a few years, Rifleman Jeevan Singh was deployed to the 18 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion in Jammu and Kashmir to take part in counter-insurgency operations. By 2024, with nearly eight years of dedicated service, he had grown into a skilled and determined soldier. In October 2024, his battalion was actively engaged in operations in the Baramulla district near the Line of Control, an area prone to frequent infiltration attempts. Based on intelligence about hardcore terrorists in the area, input-based operations were launched in the Pattan and Kreeri areas, and Rifleman Jeevan Singh was assigned an operational task in support of ongoing operations. On the evening of 24 October 2024, a convoy carrying Rifleman Jeevan Singh and other personnel from the 18 Rashtriya Rifles, along with civilian porters, was moving towards the Nagin post in the Afarwat range through the rugged, forested terrain near Botapathri, about six kilometres from Gulmarg. As the convoy reached Botapathri, it was ambushed by terrorists who opened fire on two army trucks. In the swift and brutal attack, Rifleman Jeevan Singh and his comrades responded with courage, taking defensive positions to protect the convoy. Grievously wounded in the heavy exchange of fire, Rifleman Jeevan Singh succumbed to his injuries, laying down his life in the line of duty.