Chander Singh, KC

Biography

Naib Subedar Chander Singh hailed from Kutri village in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, a region with a long tradition of service in the armed forces. He joined the army with deep patriotic commitment and was posted to the 17th Battalion of the Assam Rifles, going on to establish himself as a hardy and accomplished high-altitude mountaineer. In 1987, Naib Subedar Chander Singh was part of an expedition to scale Mount Kanchenjunga, the third-highest peak in the world, serving on the critical second summit team. On 31 May 1987, after a gruelling seven-hour climb, he displayed exceptional courage and selflessness by rescuing a fellow climber who had fallen along the way. The team pressed on to reach the summit at 1430 hours and unfurled the national flag, completing the ascent without the aid of supplementary oxygen. While descending from the peak, Naib Subedar Chander Singh lost his footing and fell into the Yalung Glacier on the Nepal side of the mountain, laying down his life in the service of the nation. For his conspicuous gallantry, indomitable spirit and supreme sacrifice, Naib Subedar Chander Singh was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra, the nation's second-highest peacetime gallantry award.