Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai promoted as deputy Chief of Army Staff
Last week, Lt Gen Ghai, a key figure in military briefings on Operation Sindoor, was awarded the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM) by President Droupadi Murmu.
Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai has been elevated to the post of Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy), a role under which all operational verticals of the Indian Army report to the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Security), news agency ANI reported.
He will also continue to serve as the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO). Before assuming the post in October 2024, Lt. General Ghai was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GoC) of the Chinnar Corps. So he has ample experience working in Jammu and Kashmir along the Line of Control (LoC).
Last week, Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, a key figure in military briefings on Operation Sindoor, was awarded the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM) by President Droupadi Murmu, who conferred distinguished service decorations on several top-ranking officers of the armed forces, the Indian Coast Guard, and the Border Roads Organisation for service of "exceptional order."
Lt Gen Ghai led military operations for Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people. The operation targeted nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
At a press conference on May 11, Lt Gen Ghai revealed that his Pakistani counterpart had proposed a ceasefire during an interaction on May 10, which led to both sides agreeing to halt hostilities.
Clarifying media reports, the Indian Army later stated that the ceasefire agreed upon in the DGMO talks on May 12 has no expiry date. “No DGMO talks are scheduled today. As far as the continuation of a break in hostilities... There is no expiry date to it,” the Army said.
‘Justice served’
On May 18, the Indian Army's Western Command shared a video of Operation Sindoor on its official X handle. The clip was captioned, "Planned, trained & executed," with the message, "Justice served."
The video shows Indian Army personnel in full military gear. One soldier is heard saying that Operation Sindoor was meant to deliver a long-overdue message to Pakistan.
"Yeh shuruate Pahalgam aantki hamle se hui, gussa nahi lava tha. Dimaag me bas ek hi baat, abki bar aisa sabak sikhanege ki inki peedhiya yaad rakhegi."
(It all began with the Pahalgam terror attack, the rage was like lava. There was only one thought: this time, we will teach such a lesson that their generations will remember.)
The video then shows scenes of explosions and heavy gunfire. A voiceover follows: “9 May raat ko takriban 9 baje, jis bhi dushman ki post ne yudh viraam ka ulanghan kiya un sabhi poston ko bharatiya sena ne mitti me mila diya. Dushman apni post chhod bhagta nazar aaya. Op Sindoor keval ek kaarwahi nahi, Pakistan ke liye woh sabak tha jo usne dashakon se nahi sikha. Jai Hind!”
(On the night of May 9, around 9 pm, the Indian Army destroyed all enemy posts that violated the ceasefire, forcing the enemy to flee. Operation Sindoor is not just an action, but a lesson for Pakistan that it has not learned for decades.)
