New Delhi [India], August 1 (ANI): Lieutenant General Vikas Lakhera, AVSM, SM, assumed the command of the Director General of Assam Rifles on Thursday.

General Lakhera was commissioned from 86 Regular Course at Indian Military Academy into 4 SIKH LI on June 9, 1990, which he later went on to command in lower Assam under Red Horn Division.

Among his staff and instructional appointments, he has served as Divisional Officer and Training, Advising, and Counselling (TAC) Officer at NDA, Khadakwasla, MA to GOC-in-C, HQ Eastern Comd, SO and Dy MA to COAS, Dir MO-2 and Deputy Cadre of 93 Inf Brigade.

The General Officer commanded 15 Inf Brigade at Sriganganagar before he moved to HQ 4 Corps as Brigade (Q). The general officer was also IGAR (North) from Jan 2022 to March 2024. Before assuming the appointment of DGAR, General Lakhera was tenanting the appointment of Additional Director General of Military Operations (ADG MO) (IW), Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), and IHQ of MoD (Army). His academic qualifications included an MSc from Madras University, an MA from King's College, London (UK) and a Master in Management Studies from Osmania University.

In addition to serving across a wide spectrum of terrain profiles and multi-faceted operational areas like LC, IB and North East, the Gen Offr has immense operational experience in planning and conducting counter-terrorism operations in JK, Assam and Nagaland. He has to his credit an Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal, Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card and two GOC-in-C Commendation Cards.

He is a postgraduate from Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. The General Officer is also an alumnus of the Higher Defence Management Course and completed the prestigious NDC Course from The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS), London (UK).

His spouse, Vibha Lakhera, is a freelance educator and an active social worker. The General Officer hails from Tehri district of Uttarakhand state and did his graduation from DAV PG College Dehradun before joining the Indian Military Academy Dehradun. (ANI)