Kamal Davar

Indian Army

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Lieutenant General Kamal Davar is a retired Indian military officer, and security expert who served as the first Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency.

Early life and education

The general officer is the son of the veteran freedom fighter and Indian National Congress leader, Shri MC Davar. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasala, and also holds an MSc in Defence Studies from Madras University, and a doctorate in Security Studies from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut.

Military career

Lt General Davar was commissioned into the 7th Light Cavalry regiment of the Indian Army. As a young officer Davar participated in the 1965 India-Pakistan War during which he was wounded in action. Subsequently, he also participated in active operations during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. He eventually rose to command the 86 Armoured Regiment of the Indian Army, and also to serve on the Indian Military Training Team in Iraq. As a Major General, Davar commanded the Ladakh division, and served as Chief of Staff at the Corps Headquarters in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir. He subsequently rose to become General officer commanding of an Army Corps in Punjab, in the rank of Lieutenant General. After completion of command as GOC of a corps, he was appointed Director-General, Mechanised Forces at Army headquarters in 2001. On 5 March 2002, the government announced Davar's appointment as the first Chief of The Defence Intelligence Agency(DIA) and Deputy Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff. General Davar served as the Colonel of the Regiment of 86 Armoured Regiment, as well as that of 74 Armoured Regiment.

Family

Kamal Davar is the son of Dr M. C. Davar, a renowned freedom fighter and a well known Congress leader.

Environmentalism

A keen environmentalist, Lt Gen Kamal Davar was the force behind the successful campaign to plant lakhs of trees and clean the Harike bird Sanctury in Punjab.

Post retirement activities

Post retirement, the General has been writing regularly for the national media/military journals and has over a 100 published articles to his credit on security related, counter-terrorism and intelligence issues. He is also frequently called upon by various institutions, both in India and abroad to address them on diverse security related and geo-political subjects.. Currently he is also the Convenor of the Strategic Studies Cell, a think tank based in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh in India.etc.