HT Digital,
Guwahati, Dec 30: The history of the Indian Military, surviving through its glorious periods and turbulent times, certainly has to have a special chapter allotted to Lieutenant General Rana Pratap Kalita.
He is the stalwart to many remarkable things through his life as an army officer. From being part of various important military operations to serving in staff appointments, from developing infrastructure to arrange sports events, he perhaps has done it all. Spanning a career over four decades, Lt General Kalita is to retire on December 31, 2023, leaving his post and a huge gap in Indian Military.
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Currently serving as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command, the Lt General was born into an Assamese family to Jogendra Kalita and Renu Kalita in Rangia, Kamrup District.
An alumnus of Sainik School, Goalpara and National Defence Academy (NDA) Khadakwasla, General Kalita started his now-illustrious career in fabled 9 Kumaon Regiment on June 9, 1984, from Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.
The desire of becoming an army officer bloomed in Lt General Kalita’s heart right from his childhood. Son of the headmaster, he grew up in the Tamulpur High School campus, studying at primary level there. There was an army camp nearby and the NCC camps were organized on the school ground itself. On constant exposure to the activities of those camps, he was enamored with the discipline and hard work the army people displayed. His parents saw his enthusiasm and sent him to Sainik School in 1973, at fifth standard, starting what we have of his storybook journey now.
After leaving Sainik School, he joined NDA on August, 1980. He spent three years there and afterwards received training at Indian Military Academy for one year before he joined the distinguished 9 Kumaon Regiment.
A powerhouse of the Indian Military, Lt-Gen Kalita carries with him a vast operational experience of serving in various important operations. His immense repertoire includes Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, Operation Parakram and Operation Rakshak in Jammu & Kashmir, Operation Bajrang & Operation Rhino in Assam, Operation Orchid in Nagaland and Operation Hifazat in Manipur.
Lt-Gen Kalita also boasts having experience at serving in various staff appointments including Colonel General Staff of a Division and Brigadier General Staff Operations (BGS-Ops) of a Corps in highly active Counter Insurgency environment. He has also had key appointments in Military Secretary’s Branch, Operational Logistics Directorate and Adjutant General’s Branch in Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army). He had a tenure as an instructor in Officers Training Academy, Chennai and Directing Staff in Higher Command Wing of Army War College, Mhow. He has served twice at United Nations as a Military Observer in Sierra Leone and Chief Operations Officer in Sudan. He had commanded III Corps and was the Chief of Staff of Eastern Command. Before he became the first officer from Assam and the North East to become an army commander, he was Director General (Manpower Planning & Personal Services) in Army Headquarters, New Delhi. During his assignment there, he orchestrated the funeral arrangements for the late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Lt-Gen Rana Pratap Kalita, head of the Eastern Command, is actively involved in various projects ranging from socio-cultural affairs to sports. He has been instrumental in making Guwahati one of the host cities for the 131st and 132nd editions of the Durand Cup. He is also behind the yearly Guwahati Half Marathon. Lt-Gen Kalita played a key role in the installation of a 35-feet statue of Lachit Borphukan at Narengi Military Station. He also led the Mega Defence event East Tech 2023, a collaboration between the Eastern Army Command and the Ministry of Commerce and Industries to promote awareness about Indian Defence Manufacturers’ modern technologies and hardware solutions under the ‘Raksha Atmanirbharat’ initiative. Lt-Gen Kalita is also working towards advancing civil-military fusion within the Eastern Command to bridge the civilian-military gap. He has been instrumental in infrastructure development in the northeastern states in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs and state governments. Lt-Gen Kalita, who started his career in 1984, is one of the most decorated individuals in the Indian military’s history. In September 2020, he became the first Assamese army officer to be appointed as a corps commander.
Lt General Rana Pratap Kalita, a decorated army officer, has been honoured with numerous awards throughout his distinguished career, including the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card and GOC-in-C Eastern Command Commendation Card. His journey from a small boy with big dreams in Tamulpur to becoming the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command is a testament to his extraordinary character. Even as he retires, his significant contributions to the Indian Military and society at large will continue to be remembered and celebrated.
