Retired Army officer helping aspirants join the armed forces receives COAS honour

Colonel Dibya Shankar Bhattacharya (Retd) was recently honoured by the outgoing Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Upendra Dwivedi, with the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card and Medal at an official ceremony in Tezpur. Col. Bhattacharya served in the Indian Army for more than 33 years. He holds the unique distinction of being the first person from Assam to secure All India Rank 1 in the UPSC National Defence Academy (NDA) examination.

During his military career, he served in operational areas along both the Pakistan and China borders and actively participated in Operation Rakshak, the counter-insurgency operations in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, as well as Operation Parakram. He also topped the prestigious Senior Officers Course of the Indian Army and later served on deputation as a Director in the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). While presenting the award, General Dwivedi lauded Col. Bhattacharya’s dedicated service to the nation and highlighted his exemplary contributions both during and after his distinguished military career.

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Recalling his field postings, Col. Bhattacharya said that while serving in Srinagar he faced the challenges of counter-insurgency operations, whereas deployment along the China border presented a different set of demands. “In counter-insurgency operations, you have to make instant decisions in the face of unexpected situations, while at the border you have to think long term,” he said. Speaking about his tenure with the Border Roads Organisation, he said he worked in areas untouched by the general administration. “Weather is a major challenge in such areas. There are also ecological issues such as soil erosion and landslides.

Another major concern is land acquisition,” said Col. Bhattacharya, who supervised road construction projects in both Arunachal Pradesh and the western sector. Following his retirement, Col. Bhattacharya began practising as an advocate at the Gauhati High Court and also serves as a Professor of Practice at Arya Vidyapeeth College, Guwahati. Driven by his commitment to nation-building, he established the Dibya Shankar Foundation (DSF) in 2022 to mentor and guide aspirants from across India, including the North-East, who wish to join the armed forces. His efforts have inspired numerous young men and women to pursue careers in the defence services.

Speaking about the foundation, the retired officer said the idea had been with him for years. “I served on the Services Selection Board (SSB) as a psychologist involved in selecting officers for the Army. I realised that, beyond towns and cities, there is tremendous potential in villages and remote areas. The abilities of boys and girls there have not been explored as they should be. I also felt there was a lack of awareness,” he said. Col. Bhattacharya used the Internet to connect with aspirants through the foundation. “I started with online courses.

Aspirants from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Manipur and even Coimbatore have benefited from the training. One major issue was their power of expression and language skills. But I found that their desire to succeed was exceptionally strong,” he said. He also focuses on helping serving jawans become commissioned officers. “Jawans have opportunities to become officers through the Army Cadet College and entries such as the Special Commissioned Officers and Special List Officers (Permanent Commission).

I help them overcome the barriers,” he said. Recalling one such success story, he said: “A young man from Haryana, whose father served in the infantry and was martyred in the Kashmir Valley in 2000, approached me after repeated unsuccessful attempts at the SSB. Following a family dispute, he, his brother and mother had been turned out of their home. He later joined the Army as a jawan but aspired to become an officer.

After a little guidance, he finally succeeded. Stories like these are truly inspiring and keep me going.” Col. Bhattacharya now also conducts offline training programmes in Assam. At present, 27 of his students are either undergoing training at various military academies or have already been commissioned as officers, he said. His training focuses on personality development, problem-solving, critical thinking, reasoning and interview preparation. Col. Dibya Shankar Bhattacharya is the youngest son of the late Gauri Shankar Bhattacharya, noted political activist, legal luminary and litterateur of Assam. He is survived by a son, who has joined him in the legal profession, and a daughter