- Indian Army loses a great commander & the Corps of Engineers a leader
- ADU mourns the loss of it’s advisor
By Sangeeta Saxena
New Delhi. 19 November 2021. Sad day for Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army as it looses it’s very popular and extremely respected former Engineer-in-Chief, Lt. General Neel Rattan Khanna, PVSM (Retd) to destiny. As the Corps was celebrating it’s raising day yesterday General Khanna was admitted post a sudden deterioration in health.
For us at Aviation & Defence Universe (ADU) it was a personal loss as he was our first advisor to enter the board and gave his blessings whole heartedly to a venture started by a Sapper Officer’s wife.
He was commissioned into the Indian Army in June 1958 and retired in January 1997 as Engineer-in-Chief of the Army. In this appointment he was responsible for combat engineer support to the Indian Army and was also Head of the Military Engineering Service which caters for all construction works for Army, Navy, Airforce and other organisations under the Ministry of Defence.
General Khanna was an alumni of National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College and Institute of Defence Managment. His qualifications included MSc (Defence Studies) and Fellow of the Intitution of Engineers which is equivalent to Master of Engineering. He was also a Fellow of the Indian council of arbitrators, Fellow of the Indian council of surveyors and member of the Panel of Arbitrators for FICCI. He was also member of the Senate of IIT Rookree from 1998 to 2000.
During his tenure General Khanna held various staff and instructional appointments such as instructor in College of Combat, Cheif Engineer of Border Roads Organisation and major general in charge of operational logistics of an army command. He was awarded the Param Vishist Sewa Medal in 1996.
After his retirement, General Khanna worked as an Arbitrator for National Highway Authority of India and New Dehli Muncipal Council .
God bless the departed soul with eternal peace. ADU stands with the bereaved family in this hour of grief.