In a poignant close to an extraordinary chapter, Subedar Major/Honorary Captain Sanjay Kumar, PVC, the Indian Army’s last serving Param Vir Chakra recipient, bids adieu after four decades of valorous service with the 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (JAK Rif).

Kumar’s legend was forged on July 4, 2000, during the Kargil War’s fierce Battle of Tololing. As a Havildar, the young soldier from Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, scaled a sheer 30-foot cliff under blistering gunfire, single-handedly silencing a Pakistani machine-gun post and enabling his unit’s advance. For this audacious gallantry, he earned the PVC, India’s highest wartime honour, at age 26.

Yet, Kumar’s path was no unbroken ascent. Around 2010, he faced an inexplicable demotion to Lance Naik, with the Army offering no public rationale. Whispers in military corridors pointed to friction with a senior officer over salute protocols for PVC holders— a rare protocol granting recipients the honours of a Lieutenant Colonel. Officially, the Army persisted in listing him as Havaldar in communiques, fuelling quiet controversy in defence circles.

Vindication came through higher echelons’ intervention. Restored to his rank, Kumar ascended methodically via seniority: Naib Subedar in 2014, Subedar Major in February 2022, Honorary Lieutenant in August 2025, and finally Honorary Captain on Republic Day 2026. True to policy, no out-of-turn promotions marred his merit-based rise.

As the sole active PVC from the 21 awarded since 1947 steps into civilian life, Kumar leaves a void. “Duty was my creed,” he told reporters modestly. His retirement underscores the Army’s unyielding ethos: heroism endures, but equity prevails.