Captain Shubham Gupta was born on the 7th of October 1995 in the Taj Ganj area of the Agra District of Uttar Pradesh. He is the first child of Shri Basant Kumar Gupta and Smt Pushpa Devi Gupta and has a younger brother named Rishabh Gupta. From very early in his life, he was motivated by the Indian Armed Forces as he had a strong belief in the values of respect, honour, and patriotism, and these would eventually motivate him to one day be in uniform and serve his country.
Shubham attended St George’s Inter College in Agra for his schooling and was noted for his responsible character and leadership potential. He worked hard with a vision to become a member of the Indian Army and, at the age of 19 years, successfully competed for selection into the very competitive Technical Entry Scheme (TES) in 2015.
Courses & Commission
Shubham undertook his military training at the Officers’ Training Academy, Gaya, in preparation for his appointment. Throughout his training, he exhibited exceptional levels of endurance, fortitude, and teamwork. In 2018, after completing his training, he was commissioned into the Indian Army as a Lieutenant in the Corps of Signals, which is responsible for ensuring the Army can carry out operations by maintaining operational communication systems and networks.
However, Captain Shubham aspired to push his limits further. Drawn by the challenges of elite soldiering, he volunteered for the Special Forces. After completing one of the toughest probation processes in the world, he earned his place in 9 Para (Special Forces), part of The Parachute Regiment. Being inducted into this distinguished unit was a testament to his resilience and exceptional capability.
Service with 9 Para (SF)
Raised in nineteen hundred sixty-six and part of the Indian Army, 9 Para (Special Forces) is an elite regiment known for their proficiency in warfare in mountainous areas, counter-insurgency operations, and counter-terrorism missions.
Captain Shubham was deployed in Jammu & Kashmir, constantly requiring an ever-vigilant presence to ensure he was operationally ready for either threat. As part of Operation CI & IS Ops, Captain Shubham significantly exemplified the ethos of the Special Forces: Courage and Self-Sacrifice through the unflinching spirit allied with their regiment.
Establishing himself at twenty-eight years of age, Captain Shubham was developing a reputation of being very committed and courageous, with admiration not only from others in 9 Para Special Forces but with respect from many officers and soldiers of other army regiments and branches.
Rajouri Encounter – 22 November 2023
By November of twenty twenty-three, 9 Para (Special Forces) were deployed in the Rajouri Sector under the command of Romeo Force as part of the Indian Army’s Sixteenth Corps. Based upon credible intelligence of heavily armed terrorists hiding in the Kalakote area of the Gulabgarh Forest, approximately 12 hours prior, a joint operation (i.e., three units) and movement commenced during the late evening hours of 21 November 2023 (2200hrs) with the intention of cordoning off the potential hiding area of the terrorists.
At first light on 22 November 2023, once troop movement inside the Kalakote area became known to the terrorists, the terrorists indiscriminately opened enemy fire towards them with no regard for their own safety or position. At that point, Captain Shubham demonstrated exceptional courage by moving forward into the enemy fire to engage the terrorists with the hope of neutralizing them before they engaged more friendly troops.
Despite sustaining wounds from multiple gunshots, Captain Shubham continued to direct his troops until he was unable to continue because of his injuries. The operation ultimately resulted in the elimination of the entire terrorist group, but at a profound cost. Four other soldiers also laid down their lives in the fierce encounter.
