Nirbhay Kumar Singh

Biography

Captain Nirbhay Kumar Singh was born on 15 May 1966 in Gopalpur Naugachia of the Bhagalpur district of Bihar, to Shri Ayodhya Singh and Smt Vimala Devi. He completed his schooling at Gulab Takar Convent School, Army School Tilaiya and B N School Patna, distinguishing himself in academics as well as in extracurricular activities. Drawn to a life in uniform, he qualified for the National Defence Academy and went on to train at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He was commissioned into the Indian Army on 11 June 1988 and assigned to the 16th Battalion of The Rajputana Rifles, embracing the regimental motto 'Veer Bhogya Vasundhara' — the brave shall inherit the earth. Within a year of his commissioning, his battalion was deployed to Sri Lanka as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force engaged in Operation Pawan against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. On 15 May 1989, his twenty-third birthday, Captain Nirbhay Kumar Singh was leading an operation against LTTE militants in the Puttur sector when his team came under heavy enemy fire. He engaged the militants with determination from the front, drawing fire on himself to allow his men to manoeuvre, and sustained grievous injuries in the fierce action that followed. He succumbed to his wounds on the same day, laying down his life while leading from the front in the highest traditions of the Indian Army. A memorial to his sacrifice stands at Smrithi Sadan, Red Cross Road, Bhagalpur, in his lasting memory.