Brigadier (Retired) Basant Kumar Ponwar passed away

Brigadier (Retired) Basant Kumar Ponwar passed away

¨     Brigadier (Retired) Basant Kumar Ponwar passed away at the age of 77 in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh.

¨     He was the founder of the Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare College (CTJW College) in Kanker, Chhattisgarh.

¨     He was a veteran of the 1971 India–Pakistan War.

¨     He was commissioned into the 1st Battalion of the Maratha Light Infantry and joined the Indian Army in December 1969.

¨     He served as the Commandant of the Army’s Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS) at Vairengte, Mizoram.

¨     He supervised the first India–US joint military exercise, Yudh Abhyas, in 2004.

¨     He established the Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare College in Kanker, Bastar region, Chhattisgarh, in August 2005.

¨     The institution trained more than 37,000 security personnel in guerrilla warfare and jungle operations.

¨     He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) for distinguished service.

¨     After retiring from the Army, he was appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP) by the Government of Chhattisgarh for anti-Maoist operations.