People, Positions and Obituaries · 2 August 2026
Brigadier B.K. Ponwar, Jungle Warfare Pioneer, Dies at 77
Exam-focused facts from the 2 August 2026 current affairs briefing.
Key facts
- Brigadier Basant Kumar Ponwar, a 1971 Indo-Pak War veteran and jungle warfare pioneer, died at the age of 77 in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh.
- He was born on March 3, 1949, in Indore and was commissioned into the 1st Battalion of the Maratha Light Infantry (MLI) in December 1969.
- During the 1971 war, he led raids in Kamalpur and Bakshiganj and served as a link officer during the Tangail paradrop.
- He served as Commandant of the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS) in Vairengte, Mizoram, and oversaw the inaugural Indo-US exercise 'Yudh Abhyas' in 2004.
- He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) for exceptional service.
- He founded the Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare College (CTJWC) in Kanker, Chhattisgarh, in August 2005, and trained over 37,000 security personnel over 18 years.