Lieutenant General (Retd) Madan Mohan Lakhera, a decorated Indian Army officer who served as the Governor of Mizoram and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, died at his residence in Dehradun on June 29, 2026, at the age of 88. His last rites were performed in Haridwar on June 30. A veteran of the 1961 Goa operation and the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan, Lakhera was the first person from the Garhwal region to hold a gubernatorial appointment and remains the only officer from Uttarakhand to have been awarded the PVSM, AVSM, and VSM.
Early Life and Military Career
Madan Mohan Lakhera was born on October 21, 1937, in the village of Jakhand in Tehri Garhwal, now part of Uttarakhand. He began his military training at the Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) in Dehradun, followed by the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla, Pune. He was commissioned into the Indian Army from the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, on June 8, 1958.
Lakhera saw action in three major military operations. He took part in the liberation of Goa in 1961, the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, and the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 in the Jammu sector. He later attended the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington, Tamil Nadu, and the Long Gunnery Staff Course at the School of Artillery in Devlali. He also completed the Senior Defence Management Course at the College of Defence Management in Secunderabad.
He served as an instructor at the School of Artillery from 1967 to 1970 and later at the Army War College from 1978 to 1981. In December 1975, Lieutenant Colonel Lakhera took command of the 4th Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment, which he led until July 1978 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Distinguished Service and Gallantry Awards
Promoted to Brigadier, Lakhera commanded a brigade at Kanpur that took part in Operation Blue Star in Punjab in 1984 and provided aid to civil authorities during the 1984 riots in Kanpur. For successfully handling these operations, he received the Chief of Army Staff’s Commendation Card twice, in January and August 1985. He later served as Sub Area Commander in the Kashmir Valley, handling both logistics and civil aid tasks, for which he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) in 1990.
He was promoted to Major General in March 1990 and posted as Chief of Staff of the Kashmir Valley-based Corps Headquarters, where he coordinated counter-insurgency operations including the sealing of the Line of Control in the Kashmir Valley and the Ladakh sector. For this, he received the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) in 1991. He subsequently commanded an Infantry Division.
In September 1992, Lakhera was promoted to Lieutenant General. He served as Chief of Staff of Headquarters Central Command and later of Headquarters Northern Command, dealing with the volatile insurgency situation in Jammu and Kashmir. In June 1993, he was appointed Adjutant General of the Indian Army, a key role in which he shaped manpower policies and coordinated welfare activities. He also served as Colonel Commandant of the Kumaon Regiment. For his exceptional service, he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) in 1995.
Lakhera is the only officer from Uttarakhand to have received the PVSM, AVSM, and VSM, along with two Chief of Army Staff Commendation Cards.
Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry and A&N Islands
After retiring from the Army, Lakhera entered constitutional service. He was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry (then known as Pondicherry) on July 7, 2004, becoming the first person from the Garhwal Division to hold a gubernatorial appointment. His tenure coincided with the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and he personally led the relief and rehabilitation efforts in the Union Territory, monitoring reconstruction work and ensuring aid reached affected villages.
During his time in Puducherry, Lakhera oversaw the conduct of Panchayat and Municipal elections after a gap of 38 years. The elections to the 12th Legislative Assembly of Puducherry were also held peacefully during his tenure. He also raised the need for a central legislation to regulate admissions in private professional colleges at the Governors Conference in June 2005, well before the issue gained national attention.
In February 2006, Lakhera was given the additional charge of Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He was administered the oath of office on November 29, 2005, becoming the ninth Lieutenant Governor of the archipelago. He made extensive visits across the islands to review tsunami rehabilitation work and pushed for improved communication infrastructure between the islands and the mainland.
Governor of Mizoram
Lakhera took over as the Governor of Mizoram on July 25, 2006, and served until September 1, 2011. He was the state’s 8th Governor (listed as the 11th in the official count). Upon assuming office, he visited every district headquarters in Mizoram to understand ground-level problems and connect with the people.
His tenure in Mizoram is remembered for his approachable and people-centric style. He actively engaged with students and young people, encouraging them to participate in nation-building and strengthening their connection with the national mainstream. At the time, Mizoram was one of the most peaceful states in the country with no active insurgency or insurgent groups operating within its borders.
Lakhera left office on September 1, 2011, and was succeeded by Vakkom Purushothaman. After his constitutional service, he remained active in public life and was involved in ex-servicemen welfare activities.
Key Takeaways
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Lieutenant General (Retd) Madan Mohan Lakhera, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, died at his residence in Dehradun on June 29, 2026, at the age of 88.
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He was the first person from the Garhwal Division to hold a gubernatorial appointment and remains the only officer from Uttarakhand to have been awarded the PVSM, AVSM, and VSM.
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He served as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry from July 7, 2004 to July 18, 2006, and held additional charge as Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2006.
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He was the Governor of Mizoram from July 25, 2006 to September 1, 2011, during which he visited all district headquarters and focused on youth engagement.
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During his military career spanning nearly four decades, he was commissioned on June 8, 1958, from the Indian Military Academy and participated in the Goa liberation (1961), the 1965 war, and the 1971 war.
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He served as Adjutant General of the Indian Army from 1993 and was Colonel Commandant of the Kumaon Regiment.
