Hira Lal Atal
Encyclopedia
Hira Lal Atal was the first Cadet Captain, or Head Boy, of the famous Rashtriya Indian Military College, which was at that time known as the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College, Dehradun
. The year was 1922 and the RIMC
had just been established in an attempt to nurture native Indians to help them take command of the British Indian Army
. He was at the Rawlinson Section, which later came to be known as Pratap Section after 1947.
He went on to achieve the rank of Major General and was the first native Adjutant General of the Indian Union. He was entrusted with the responsibility of designing the Indian equivalent of the Victoria Cross
by the first Prime Minister of India
, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. General Atal knew Savitri Khanolkar, who was a friend's wife, and he also knew about her deep knowledge and interest in ancient Indian philosophy. He asked her to help and thus was created the Param Vir Chakra
.
His brother K.L. Atal, who went on to win the Mahavir Chakra, was a Rimcollian as well.
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
. The year was 1922 and the RIMC
RIMC
The Rashtriya Indian Military College or the RIMC is a public school for boys situated in Doon Valley, Dehradun in India. The name of the school was Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College but it was re-named in 1947. The RIMC is a feeder institution for the National Defence Academy, Indian...
had just been established in an attempt to nurture native Indians to help them take command of the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
. He was at the Rawlinson Section, which later came to be known as Pratap Section after 1947.
He went on to achieve the rank of Major General and was the first native Adjutant General of the Indian Union. He was entrusted with the responsibility of designing the Indian equivalent of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
by the first Prime Minister of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. General Atal knew Savitri Khanolkar, who was a friend's wife, and he also knew about her deep knowledge and interest in ancient Indian philosophy. He asked her to help and thus was created the Param Vir Chakra
Param Vir Chakra
The Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. It can be, and often has been, awarded posthumously....
.
His brother K.L. Atal, who went on to win the Mahavir Chakra, was a Rimcollian as well.