The officer who told his interviewer he wanted to win India's highest honor

Countries & Cities · Published 21 October 2026 · Updated 22 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When asked why he wanted to join the Indian Army, Manoj Kumar Pandey gave a startlingly direct answer: he wanted to win the Param Vir Chakra. He eventually achieved that goal, but only posthumously, after a singular act of bravery during the 1999 Kargil War.

Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey of the 1st battalion, 11th Gorkha Rifles, served during the 1999 Kargil War. Tasked with capturing Khalubar top, his platoon faced intense fire on the night of 2–3 July. Realising his battalion would be 'daylighted' if they remained stationary, Pandey took the initiative to clear four enemy positions on the left. Despite being wounded in the shoulder and legs, he led a solitary charge against the first bunker, engaging in ferocious hand-to-hand combat. He destroyed the first and second positions, killing four personnel, before destroying the fourth with a grenade while sustaining a fatal forehead wound. His actions provided the critical base for his company to capture the objective. Pandey is memorialised in a Garkon stadium, a Lucknow roundabout, a National Defence Academy block, and a 2021 village memorial. Records distinguish him from a politician of the same name.

theme-human-achievement mood-awe difficulty-2 topics-military-history,india,bravery

Born in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district, Manoj Kumar Pandey entered the world in Rudha village on 25 June 1975. When questioned about his military aspirations during an SSB interview, he stated his goal was to earn the Param Vir Chakra. During the removal of the third position, the officer sustained wounds to his legs and shoulder from hostile rounds. He obliterated the target using a grenade, despite receiving a lethal Medium Machine Gun shot to his skull. The Param Vir Chakra was granted to Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey by the Indian President... on the occasion of Independence Day 1999."","A memorial to Capt Manoj Pandey [was dedicated] at his native village Rura on 19 March 2021""]

canvas-type-data canvas-data-title-"Military Honors and Recognition" canvas-data-points-["Number of individuals decorated with India's highest military honour: 21","Year the Param Vir Chakra was awarded to Pandey: 1999","Year the memorial at his native village was dedicated: 2021"] canvas-data-insight-"Pandey is one of a small group of 21 individuals to receive India's highest gallantry award, a distinction he earned in 1999."

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