Captain Pawan Kumar SC Biography In 2026
Pawan Kumar was born at the small village of Badhana situated in the Jind district of Haryana on January 15, 1993, to parents Shri Rajbir Singh and Mrs. Kamlesh. He was born on Indian Army Day, and some believe this coincidence was a sign of what his future would hold for him. As the only son, since childhood, Pawan wanted nothing more than to serve his country. With that goal in mind, he dedicated himself to doing whatever was necessary to achieve his dream of serving in the Armed Forces.
After graduating from high school, he completed the demanding entry requirement process for admission into the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, where he became a member of course number 123. Upon completion of training received while at NDA, he was assigned to the Dogra Regiment in the Indian Army as a Lieutenant on December 14, 2013, to serve with 7 Dogra, an Infantry battalion with a distinguished lineage and commander record of previous engagements.
Pawan was passionate about being a soldier and accepting challenges in life. He embraced his adventurous spirit and was always eager, willing and able to place his ambition to ensure that he would be successful while serving his country, whether in combat or peacetime. Due to Pawan's tenaciously willing spirit, he volunteered to serve with an elite unit in the Armed Forces of India, the Special Forces. After intensive training, he was assigned to the 10 Para Special Forces in June 2015. This unit, known as the "Desert Scorpions," is the premier unit for desert warfare in the Indian Army and is considered one of the best units worldwide. Pawan was extremely proud when he achieved his goal of completing his training in the Special Forces and received the maroon beret and the “Balidan” badge, which signified he displayed extraordinary bravery while serving his country.
On 20th February 2016, a terrorist group called Lashkar-e-Taiba, based in Pakistan, attacked a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which was travelling on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway in the Indian State of Jammu & Kashmir. This attack, carried out with weapons such as automatic weapons and grenades, killed both security forces as well as a civilian. The terrorists escaped and took refuge in an Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) building run by the Jammu and Kashmir Government in Pampore.
On the same day, security personnel from various units of the Indian Army and CRPF began joint operations to clear civilians from EDI and neutralise the terrorists. Unfortunately, it was a very dangerous situation because the terrorists were heavily armed and firing at security personnel continuously.
Captain Pawan Kumar led the troops in person by moving to the third floor of the building where the terrorists were hiding. He bravely kicked open the door to throw a grenade at the terrorists. When he kicked in the door, one of the terrorists hiding inside the building opened fire at point-blank range and shot him. He was injured very badly while he was shooting at two terrorists who threatened the lives of his team. He was very brave and killed both terrorists, saving his team and helping to accomplish the operation. Sadly, he died later from his serious injuries and at 23 years old is now among the ranks of those who have died as martyrs.
On 15 August 2016, Captain Pawan Kumar received the Shaurya Chakra in recognition of his extraordinary act of bravery, undying spirit, and ultimate sacrifice for his country. He leaves behind his parents, who continue to honour their son’s legacy of honour and patriotism.