Maj Gen Ian CardozoIan Cardozo was born in Mumbai on 7 August 1937 and studied at St. Xavier's School and College. After a year at college, he joined the National Defence Academy in July 1954 where he was awarded the gold medal for being the best all-round cadet and the silver medal for being first in order of merit. On being commissioned from the Indian Military Academy he joined the 1st Battalion the 5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) and moved to the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) with his battalion where he was the first officer of the Indian Army to be awarded the Sena Medal for gallantry on a patrol on the Sino-Indian border in 1959. He took part in the Sino-Indian war of 1962 and was part of the team that re-raised the Fourth Battalion of his regiment in the aftermath of that war. As part of 'Four Five' he fought the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971. Disabled during the 1971 war at Sylhet, in Bangladesh, he overcame the disability of losing a leg and changed the mindset at Army Headquarters by proving that losing a leg did not take away his ability to command troops in the army. Gen Cardozo was the first war-disabled officer to be approved for command of a battalion and a brigade. He thereafter commanded an Infantry Division on the Line of Control and retired as Chief of Staff of a Corps in the East. After retirement, he worked with an NGO taking care of persons with disability and was chosen by the Government of India to head the Rehabilitation Council of India. Read More Read Less