Vijay Kumar Datta

Major General Vijay Kumar Datta AVSM, SM**, VSM**, PPMG was the ADG TA of the Indian Army and the most decorated [1] Indian Army[2] officer.
He retired on 1 May 2008 and was succeeded by Major General KVS Lalotra, AVSM, YSM,SM.

Maj Gen VK Datta started his career in uniform when he was commissioned in the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Gorkha Rifles in March 1970. He volunteered and served in the first Counter-Terrorist and Counter-Hijack unit of the country.A black belt in Karate, he introduced this art in the army.

One of Gen Datta’s major accomplishments is the designing and introduction of the bullet-proof Patka for Army and para-military forces. He also designed and conceptualised the bullet-proof jacket (Kavach) which is now being produced by DRDO. The credit of designing Arms Laser Designator goes to him too. He was involved in the raising of the Special Protection Group and the National Security Guard.

He has commanded a Mountain Brigade in counter-insurgency operations under the Operation Rhino in Assam and an Infantry Division on the Line of Control in J&K in Op Rakshak. He was also posted as the Chief of Staff of 21 Corps(Offensive formation of the Indian Army). He Took over the charge of Additional Director General of the Territorial Army before he Superannuated from the Army on 1 May 2008.