Nawang Kapadia

Biography

Lieutenant Nawang Kapadia was born on 15 December 1975 in Mumbai, the younger son of the renowned mountaineers Harish and Geeta Kapadia. Raised in an environment steeped in adventure and courage, he and his elder brother Sonam were named after Sherpa mountaineers; his own name, Nawang, meaning "Leader of Men," would come to reflect the life he chose. He studied at New Era School and St. Xavier's Boys' Academy before graduating with a Commerce degree from Jai Hind College, where he was known for his free-spirited nature, love for the outdoors, athletic drive, and natural leadership. Motivated by a strong sense of purpose and a desire to serve the nation, Nawang joined the Indian Army after graduation. He trained at the Officers' Training Academy, Chennai, as part of the 70th Short Service Commission Course, passing out in 1999 to be commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 4th Battalion of the 3 Gorkha Rifles. On 29 October 2000 he reported to his battalion, deployed in Kupwara district, Jammu & Kashmir, where it was engaged in active counter-insurgency operations. Despite being newly commissioned, he quickly adapted and earned the respect of both his seniors and the soldiers he led. On 10 November 2000, intelligence reported a large group of heavily armed terrorists hiding in the dense jungles of Rajwar near Kupwara. Lt Nawang was tasked with leading his platoon in the search-and-destroy operation. His troops located a large terrorist hideout and came under heavy, indiscriminate fire. When Havildar Chitra Bahadur was grievously wounded, Lt Nawang rushed forward under fire to rescue his comrade, returning fire as he advanced. A concealed terrorist opened fire from close range, fatally wounding him. At just 24, his courage ignited the fighting spirit of his platoon, which fought on for nearly 36 hours to complete the mission.