| COLONELS OF THE REGIEMENT | | | General VP Malik, PVSM, AVSM | |  General Ved Prakash Malik was born on 1 November 1939 at Dera Ismail Khan in present Pakistan. He was selected for the National Defence Academy, Kharakvasla in 1955. After his training at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, he was commissioned into 3 SIKH LI on 07 June 1959. He saw action in the Ladakh sector in 1962. He was also Instructor at the Junior Command Wing of the College of Combat. On graduating from the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, he was in the Military Operations Directorate at Army Headquarters. He served with 1 SIKH LI and participated in operations in Nagaland, from 1974 to 1977, before commanding 10 SIKH LI on the Indo-China border.
After successful command of the battalion, he was Instructor in the Senior Command Wing of the College of Combat, Mhow. He was then nominated to attend the Higher Command Course. His assignments thereafter include Director, Joint Planning Staff in the Military Wing of the Cabinet Secretariat, Deputy Brigade Commander and Colonel General Staff of 36 Infantry Division. He commanded 162 Infantry Brigade in Jammu & Kashmir from April 1983 to December 1985, where he earned the Ati Vishist Seva Medal.
After attending the National Defence College course in New Delhi, in 1986, he was Deputy Director General of Military Operations. He dealt with operational plans for the defence of the northern borders as also two international operations - the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka and Operation Cactus in Maldives. In August1989, he was appointed Deputy GOC of 8 Mountain Division in the Northeast. He took over command of the formation in December 1989. In March 1990 he moved the Division for the conduct of operations in Jammu, Udhampur and the Kashmir Valley till May 1991.
He was Additional Director General of Operational Logistics, at Army Headquarters from May 1991. In August 1992 he assumed command of 11 Corps in Punjab, where he oversaw anti-militancy operations, till March 1994. He was posted as Commandant of the Defence Services Staff College, in April 1994. In July 1995 he was appointed GOC-in-C Southern Command before moving to Army Headquarters as Vice-Chief of Army Staff. He was decorated with the Param Vishist Seva Medal in 1996. He assumed charge of the Indian Army, as the 19th Chief of Army Staff, on 1 October 1996, 55 years to the day the Regiment was raised. Concurrently with this appointment, he took over as Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee of India with effect from 1 January 1999. He coordinated and oversaw the planning and execution of Operation Vijay, to successfully defeat Pakistan's attempted intrusion in the Kargil sector during May to July 1999.
His Majesty the King of Nepal appointed him as the Honorary Chief of The Royal Nepal Army in 1997. He was given the 'Excellence in Leadership' award by the Atur Foundation, Pune, and also the 'Distinguished Fellowship' of the Institute of Directors, New Delhi, in 1999. The Doon Citizens' Council gave him the 'Pride of the Nation' award in July 2000.
General Ved Malik retired on 30 September 2000, after completing more than 41 years of distinguished military service. He has settled down in Panchkula, near Chandigarh, after retirement. As Colonel of the Sikh Light Infantry, from 1990 to 1998, he is remembered with pride. He regularly wrote letters to the Commanding Officers on matters of regimental interest, which have now been published in a book. During his stewardship 15 and 16 SIKH LI received Colours; the regimental war memorial-cum-museum was constructed; and the regimental history was published. As an officer of the Regiment who rose to become Chief of the Army, he has an indelible place in the regimental annals. He is now the Honorary Colonel of the Regiment for life.
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