{{Short description|Recipient of Maha Vir Chakra}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = [[Colonel]] |name=Balwan Singh |honorific_suffix =[[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]] |image= |alt= |caption= |birth_date={{Birth date and age|df=yes|1973|10|17}} |death_date= |birth_place=Sasroli , [[Jhajjar district]],<br> [[Haryana]], India |death_place= |burial_place= |burial_label= |nickname= |allegiance={{flag|India}} |branch={{army|India}} |service_years=1999-present |rank= [[File:Colonel of the Indian Army.svg|20px]] [[Colonel]] |service_number = IC-56218 |unit =[[File:Grenadiers Insignia (India).svg|20px]] [[The Grenadiers|18 Grenadiers]] |commands= |battles=[[Kargil War]] *[[Battle of Tiger Hill]] |awards=[[File:Maha Vir Chakra ribbon.svg|32px]] [[Maha Vir Chakra]] |relations= |other_work= |signature= }}
[[Colonel]] '''Balwan Singh Panghal''' [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]] (born 17 October 1973) is a decorated [[Indian Army]] officer who was awarded the [[Maha Vir Chakra]] for his courage in leading the successful assault to capture [[Tiger Hill, Kargil|Tiger Hill]] during the 1999 [[Kargil War]].<ref name=Balwan>{{cite news|title=Jhajjar's Balwan who hoisted Tricolour atop Tiger Hill|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/weekly-pullouts/haryana-tribune/jhajjar-s-balwan-who-hoisted-tricolour-atop-tiger-hill/606150.html|access-date=24 March 2019|newspaper=The Tribune (Haryana)|date=16 June 2018}}</ref>
==Early life== A second-generation soldier, Singh was inspired to join the Indian Army by his father Shobha Chand, a decorated veteran of the 2nd Jat Battalion. After completing his senior secondary education from Sainik School, Karnal, Singh joined University College, Rohtak and following graduation entered the [[Officers Training Academy]] (OTA) Chennai.<ref name=Balwan/> In March 1999, he received a short-service commission in the 18 Grenadiers, with the service number SS-37691.<ref name="gallantry_awards">{{cite web |url=http://gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/balwan-singh|title=Lt Balwan Singh|website=Gallantry Awards (MoD, Government of India) |access-date=24 March 2019}}</ref>
==Kargil War and capture of Tiger Hill== With just four months of service when the Kargil War broke out, Singh was tasked to lead his [[Ghatak Platoon]] in an attempt to capture Tiger Hill during the [[Battle of Tiger Hill|eponymous battle]]. Before leading his troops into action, Singh vowed "Tiger Hill pe [[Tiranga]] fahrake ayenge, chahe kuchh bhi ho jaye." ("We will hoist the [[Flag of India|Tricolour]] atop Tiger Hill, come what may.")<ref name=Balwan/>
For his inspirational leadership and courage in successfully capturing the peak, Singh was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra by President K. R. Narayan on Independence Day 1999.<ref name="war_decorated">{{cite web |url=http://twdi.in/node/1319|title=Balwan Singh MVC|website=The War Decorated India & Trust |access-date=24 March 2019}}</ref> The official citation for the decoration reads as follows:<ref name="gallantry_awards"/><ref name="war_decorated"/>
<blockquote> LIEUTENANT BALWAN SINGH (SS-37691), 18 GRENADIERS
On 03 July 1999 Lieutenant Balwan Singh with his Ghatak platoon was tasked to assault the 'Tiger Hill Top' from the North Eastern direction as part of a multi pronged attack. The route to the objective situated at a height of 16,500 feet was snowbound and interspersed with crevasses and sheer falls. The officer, with just three months service, set about his task with single-minded determination. The team led and exhorted by him, moved for over twelve hours along a very difficult and precarious route and under intense artillery shelling to reach the designated spur.
This move took the enemy by complete surprise as his team used cliff assault mountaineering equipment to reach the top with stealth. On seeing the Ghataks, the enemy panicked and in a desperate firefight attempted to repulse the Ghataks. In the ensuing firefight, Lieutenant Balwan Singh was himself seriously injured. However his resolve to finish the enemy remained unshaken. He refused to be evacuated and unmindful of his injury, moved swiftly to encircle the enemy and engaged them in close combat and single handedly killed four enemy soldiers. The remaining enemy personnel opted to flee rather than face the fury of the fierce officer. His inspirational leadership, conspicuous courage and bravery were instrumental in the capture of Tiger Hill, which was operationally one of the most important objectives in the Drass sector.</blockquote>
==Subsequent career== After the conflict, Singh was granted a regular commission with the service number IC-56218. In 2001, he participated in the [[United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone]] (UNAMSIL). He was promoted to captain on 6 November 2003 and to major on 6 November 2005.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=66 |date=14 January 2006 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=338 |date=11 March 2006 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He was an instructor in the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, and has also served as Group Testing Officer at the Services Selection Board, Allahabad.<ref name=Balwan/>
Promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 6 November 2012,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1049 |date=13 July 2013 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and to colonel (by selection) on 6 November 2014 (seniority from 5 March 2014),<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=2251 |date=10 September 2016 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> Singh eventually became the CO of 18 Grenadiers, commanding his battalion at Gwalior and on the [[Siachen Glacier]]. As of 2018, he is the Colonel General Staff at PH & HP Independent Sub Area Ambala.<ref name=Balwan/>
==Awards and decorations==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |[[File:Maha Vir Chakra ribbon.svg|105px]] |[[File:Wound_Medal-India.svg|105px]] |[[File:IND Special Service Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]] |[[File:IND Operation Vijay star.svg|105px]] |- |[[File:IND Siachen Glacier Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]] |[[File:IND Operation Vijay medal.svg|105px]] |[[File:IND Operation Parakram Medal.png|105px]] |[[File:IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]] |[[File:IND High Altitude Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]] |- |[[File:IND Videsh Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]] |[[File:IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|105px]] |[[File:IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|105px]] |[[File:UNOMSIL_Medal_bar.gif|105px]] |- |}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |[[Maha Vir Chakra]] |[[Wound Medal (India)|Wound Medal]] |[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Special Service Medal]] |[[Operation Vijay Star]] |- |[[Siachen Glacier Medal]] |[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Operation Vijay]] |[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Operation Parakram Medal]] |[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Sainya Seva Medal]] |[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|High Altitude Service Medal]] |- |[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Videsh Seva Medal]] |[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|20 Years Long Service Medal]] |[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|9 Years Long Service Medal]] |UNOMSIL Medal |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Balwan}} [[Category:People from Haryana]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Indian Army officers]] [[Category:Recipients of the Maha Vir Chakra]] [[Category:1973 births]]