Maj Gen P Mohapatra to be New Colonel Commandant of Signals

New Delhi, Aug 31 (UNI) Maj Gen P Mohapatra is to be the next Colonel Commandant of the Corps of Signals.

He takes over this appointment tomorrow from Lt Gen AK Saini who is retiring from service.

Born in Mayurbhanj District of Orissa, Maj Gen Mohapatra had his early education at Sainik School, Bhubaneswar. He then joined the National Defence Academy for his pre-commission training.

Maj Gen Mohapatra was commissioned in 1971 and immediately thereafter he took part in the Indo-Pak war in the Northern Sector.

He is also an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College and Higher Command Course at Army War College and has attended the prestigious National Defence College. During the Higher Command Course he was awarded the Commandant's Medal for the best research study.

Maj Gen Mohapatra has held a number of important appointments including command of an Armoured Division Signals Regiment and Chief Signals Officer of a Strike Corps during Op PARAKRAM.

He has operated in counter-terrorism environment in Jammu&Kashmir and Nagaland. He has also been with the Military Operations Directorate in the Army HQ.

He is presently Additional Director General and Assistant Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Signals Intelligence).

A voracious reader, he was the Editor of Defence Technology Journal at the Army War College.

As Colonel Commandant, he will oversee various ceremonial and human resource aspects of the Corps of Signals.

UNI