Arvind Kumar

Biography

Naik Arvind Kumar hailed from Suri (Marhun) village in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. Coming from a quiet rural community, he carried a long-standing dream of serving in the Indian Army from his youth. He enlisted in 2012 and was selected into the elite 9 Para (Special Forces) battalion of the Parachute Regiment, renowned for the most demanding special operations missions. Over eleven years of service, he rose to the rank of Naik and built a family with two young daughters. In May 2023, his battalion was tasked with a counter-terrorist operation in the Kandi Forest of Rajouri district, acting on intelligence about a militant presence. As his team closed in on a concealed cave hideout on 5 May 2023, the terrorists triggered an explosive device, causing fatal injuries. Naik Arvind Kumar succumbed to his wounds alongside four of his fellow para-commandos. For his commendable courage, devotion to duty, and supreme sacrifice, Naik Arvind Kumar was posthumously awarded a Mention-in-Despatches.