Education

Dalvir Singh is an alumnus of Rashtriya Military School Ajmer where he did his schooling. He graduated from the Indian Military Academy as a Commissioned Officer in 1967.^[5]

Dalvir Singh also has an M.Phil. in Defense Studies and has attended Staff College at Defence Services Staff College. He also did Higher Command Course at Army War College, Mhow and was selected for the prestigious Strategic Leadership Course at National Defence College (India).^[6]

Operation Pawan

Dalvir Singh was the first Indian Special Forces Commanding Officer, along with his unit 10th Battalion Special Forces, to enter Sri Lanka and the last to leave as well. The unit was told that the mission was for 10 to 15 days and can return soon; the unit returned to India after 3 years, from a war-torn Sri Lanka.^[13]

As per orders, Dalvir Singh launched his SF team to hit the militants' HQ in the heart of Jaffna town, for searching the defence and for the capture of LTTE senior leadership, and as preliminary to final assault by the infantry troops. The Op which came to be known as the Jaffna University Helidrop Operation, the H-Hour was set at midnight of 11 October 1987. Led by Major Rajiv Nair, the Team Commander of the 10 SF, the first Stick of forty were inserted in the first flight of 2 Mi-8s. As the SF troop tried to hold their ground, waiting for the rest of the detail to reinforce, however, they came under sniper fire. Later on, it came to light that there was an intel leak about the conduct of the OP and there was also confusion about the number of LTTE cadres present at the site.^[14]

The LTTE which knew beforehand about the Op as they had tapped into Indian military communication, had already moved in snipers armed with telescopic sights. As the battle raged, they were able to inflict 6 casualties on the SF troops trying to hold the ground. The SF squad of 80, instead of the preplanned 120, was heavily outnumbered yet managed to move out of the open ground and sought refuge in an abandoned house where they holed up while fighting for the next 18 hours, awaiting rescue.

The news of the ambush reached Dalvir Singh and he immediately volunteered to move with the columns of infantry to the area, to establish contact with his SF troop. With utter disregard to his own safety, Dalvir Singh led his relief team to the objective in the face of heavy militant fire. On the way, he spotted the tank troop commanded by Maj. Anil Kaul, and incorporated them into the rescue plan. They came under heavy fire and the tank commander was incapacitated and Dalvir Singh who had never operated tanks before had to take up the command of the tank troops as well and directed them to the designated site.^[15][16]

Dalvir Singh and his relief troops fought for 2 days and extricated the beleaguered SF team of 74 along with its 6 casualties, fighting their way out of the militants' cordon, to the safety of the Palay military headquarters.^[17][18]

Dalvir Singh was awarded Vir Chakra for volunteering and successfully rescuing his soldiers, and for displaying conspicuous courage and valiant leadership in the face of strong militant opposition,^[19][20] as per his award citation.^[21]

Higher Command

After leading operations in Sri Lanka as a Commanding Officer, Dalvir Singh also served as Brigade Commander (Field & CI), Sub Area Commander (J&K), Deputy. Director General (Special Ops), Division Commander in OP Rakshak & OP Parakram. He also commanded the elite 52 SAG of National Security Guards, as well as the Counter Insurgency Kilo Force of Rashtriya Rifles which handle Kupwara, Baramulla and Srinagar regions. He also headed India's Territorial Army as its Additional Director General.^[22][23]

Dalvir Singh is also credited as one of the core officers who set up and modernized the training strategies for National Security Guards.^[24] He is also credited for raising the training standards of the Territorial Army (India) while he served as its Additional Director General.^[25]

Rank Insignia of a Major General of the Indian Army

Dalvir Singh finally retired at the rank of Major General even though he was approved for the rank of Lieutenant General, due to personal reasons in 2004.^[26][27]

Vir Chakra Citation

CITATION
Lieutenant Colonel Dalvir Singh

Lieutenant Colonel Dalvir Singh, Commanding Officer, 10 Para Commando was deployed in Sri Lanka as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force. He launched his team of para commandos to hit the militants' headquarters in the heart of Jaffna town, for searching the defence, preliminary to the final assault. As the militants were very strong, the link-up of our forces with the para commandos was not successful. The officer volunteered to move with columns of infantry and armour to the objective area, to establish contact with the para commandos and, with utter disregard to his own danger, led his team to the objective in the face of heavy militant fire. He extricated the commando team, along with its casualties, fighting his way out of the militants' cordon to safety.

Lieutenant Colonel Dalvir Singh thus displayed conspicuous courage and valiant leadership in the face of strong militant opposition.

^[33][34]

Dalvir Singh was also awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in 1998 for commanding the 52 SAG of the National Security Guards with distinction, and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal^[35] in 2002^[36] for successfully commanding the Kilo Force.^[37]

Dalvir Singh was also honoured with the Mirza Raja Jai Singh I Award by the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust, for his distinguished service in the Indian Armed Forces.^[38] The annual event is held on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Brigadier Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh Maha Vir Chakra of Jaipur who incidentally was also once the Commanding Officer^[39] of Dalvir Singh's parent unit, the 10th Battalion Special Forces.^[40]