Sanjiv Kumar, KC

Biography

Sanjiv Kumar was born on 5 December 1977 in Dehra village, Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh. He joined the Indian Army on 30 August 1996 at the age of 18 and went on to serve with distinction for over two decades. During his illustrious career, he participated in numerous counter-insurgency operations and also served with the National Security Guard. During Operation Rangdori Baihk (April 1-5, 2020), Subedar Sanjiv Kumar led a team of para commandos airdropped into snow-covered terrain in the Keran sector of Kupwara to intercept infiltrating terrorists near the Line of Control. When his scouts fell into a nallah where terrorists were hiding, he immediately evacuated one injured scout under heavy fire. Displaying extraordinary courage, he then charged the terrorists and engaged them in close-quarter combat, neutralizing one terrorist before sustaining a fatal gunshot wound. He made the supreme sacrifice on 5 April 2020. For his conspicuous gallantry and selfless leadership, Subedar Sanjiv Kumar was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra, the nation's second highest peacetime gallantry award. His citation noted that he "sacrificed his own life in the highest tradition of the Indian Army."