When the city of Pune witnesses the momentous occasion of hosting the Army Day Parade on January 15, two decorated officers with exemplary military careers will be the Parade Commander and the Second-in-Command.
The Army Day Parade in Pune will be commanded by Major General Anurag Vij, a decorated officer of the Regiment of Artillery and a second-generation Army officer. The second-in-command of the parade is Brigadier Paramjit Singh Jyoti, a decorated officer of the Corps of Engineers with rich academic accomplishments.
The duo will have the central responsibility of overseeing the entire parade, ensuring precise execution of drills, coordination, and the smooth flow of the event with support from various key Army formations in Pune under the aegis of the Southern Command. Multiple rehearsals of the parade have been held till now the full dress rehearsal having been held on Saturday.
This will be the third occasion on which a city other than New Delhi will host Army Day Parade, keeping in line with the Union government’s decision of holding events of national importance outside the national capital, in order to give them wider visibility and participation of citizens.
This is the second occasion when the Pune-headquartered Southern Command is hosting the event in its area of responsibility after Bengaluru, where it was held in 2023.
Major General Vij is currently the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Pune-headquartered Dakshin Maharashtra and Goa Sub Area of the Indian Army. Admitted into National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla in 1986, he passed out from Indian Military Academy Dehradun in 1990 to be commissioned into the Army as a second-generation soldier.
He started his military career from 71 Medium Regiment and was awarded the prestigious Silver Gun for exemplary performance in the Young Officers’ Course. He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College Wellington and the College of Defence Management Secunderabad.
In a service spanning 34 years, he has held several challenging command and staff appointments. During his service, the General officer has been part of Operation Meghdoot, Operation Vijay, Operation Rakshak, and Operation Parakram, which include challenging postings including those in Siachen Glacier.
His important staff appointments in the Army include Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade, Colonel (Q) Operations of a Corps, and Deputy Commandant and Chief Instructor of the Officers’ Training Academy, Gaya. He has commanded 171 Medium Regiment, 97th Artillery Brigade, and 15 Corps Artillery Brigade. He has been honoured twice with the Chief of Army Staff Commendation. On May 1, 2024, he assumed the present command of the Dakshin Maharashtra and Goa Sub Area of the Indian Army.
The Parade Second-in-Command is Brigadier Paramjit Singh Jyoti, Vishisht Seva Medal, who is currently Commandant of the Bombay Engineer Group (BEG) and Centre, the venue of the parade.
He has assumed his present appointment as the 34th post-independence Commandant of the BEG & Centre from October 1, 2024.
He is alumnus of the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Defence Services Staff College Wellington, and College of Military Engineering, Pune.
Commissioned into 106 Engineer Regiment, he later commanded his parent unit from 2010 to 2014. Brig Jyoti has an MTech from Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Pilani; MBA from Jaipur University; and MPhil from Panjab University, Chandigarh.
He has also completed the Senior Command Course from College of Combat, Mhow.
In a career spanning over three decades, Brig Jyoti has served in all types of operational environments and held various regimental, staff, and instructional appointments.
He was General Staff Officer of an Artillery Division, Colonel General Staff of a Corps headquarters, Chief Engineer of a Corps Headquarters, and Brigadier (Ceremonials) at the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence before the present appointment.
The decorated officer received Chief of Army Staff commendation in 2013, Vice-Chief of Army Staff commendation in 2018, Commander-in-Chief Special Forces commendation in 2019, and Vishisht Seva Medal in 2024.
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