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Major General G. D. Bakshi SM VSM
Birth name	Gagan Deep Bakshi
Born	1950 (1950) (age 75) Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India
Allegiance	India
Service / branch	Indian Army
Years of service	1971–2008
Rank	Major general
Battles / wars	Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and Kargil War
Awards	See § Awards and decorations

Major General Gagan Deep Bakshi SM, VSM or G. D. Bakshi (born 1950) is a retired Indian Army officer. He has promoted fake news and misinformation on a number of occasions.

Early life and education

Bakshi was born in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. His father was S. P. Bakshi.

He was educated at St. Aloysius Senior Secondary School, Jabalpur and University of Madras. After his schooling, he went to the National Defence Academy at Khadakwasla, Pune.

Career

Bakshi was commissioned in the Indian Army from IMA Dehradun in November 1971. He commanded the 6 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles.

Bakshi was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal for commanding a battalion in the Kargil War. Later, he was awarded the Sena Medal for distinguished service in commanding a battalion during counter-insurgency drives.

Bakshi subsequently commanded the Romeo Force (Part of Rashtriya Rifles) during intensive counter-insurgency operations in the Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir and succeeded in suppressing the armed militancy in this area.

Bakshi served two tenures at the Directorate General of Military Operations and was the first BGS (IW) at the Northern Command, where he dealt with Information Warfare and Psychological Operations. He retired in 2008.

Controversies

He is sometimes called on news channels for his views on politics and he often appears on Republic TV, where he frequently defends narrative of Arnab Goswami. During recent arrest of Arnab Goswami he led a protest to free him and called Arnab as his friend. His analysis is often criticized by other journalists for having a strong bias favouring the ruling government's agenda.

In one debate at Republic TV he was criticized for using profane language.

Retirement

In retirement, Bakshi has turned his energies to the pen and authored a handful of books, the most recent appearing in 2017. He is called on news channels of India to provide views on topics related to the military and defence. For example, he stars on the Republic TV series "The Grand Strategy".

Views on the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Bakshi devoted an entire episode of "The Grand Strategy" to the lessons derivable from observation of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, which turned in April from a Blitzkrieg war into an artillery duel. In this regard, Bakshi congratulates the work of Colonel Markus Reisner of the Österreichs Bundesheer. He is puzzled at the fact that Putin has only given 150,000 men to his army, while the Ukrainians can field 250,000 men. He laments the fact that the Indian defense budget has been reduced from 2.8% to a meagre 2.1%, and observes that, due to Covid-19 the Indian Army failed to recruit any men and therefore shrank 200,000 men from a pre-Covid mass of 1,300,000 men. He draws a parallel over the fact that the Russians face a shortage of manpower in the Ukraine, to which he ties their lacklustre performance, while demographically India is among the youngest countries in the world. He finds that reduction of manpower is a recipe for disaster, and that the Ukrainians are crying for artillery. At least 70% of Indian army equipment is of Russian design. Bakshi says that the Russians have kept their best formations in reserve (i.e. the T-14 tank) because they fear a conflict with NATO. UAVs, Javelins, Stingers and the S400 systems are all not his favourite. He sees Russian political micro-management of the army as a dead end. As well he touches on the breach of the Russian communication system, especially with regards to the disappearance of the Russian command structure.

Bibliography

• Bakshi, G. D. (2017). Guardians of the Gate: A Military History of the Mohiyal Fighting Brahmins. Knowledge World Publishers, New Delhi.

• Bakshi, G. D. (2016). Bose: The Indian Samurai - Netaji and the Ina a Military Assessment. ISBN 9789383649921.
• Bakshi, G. D. (2015). China's Military Power: A Net Assessment. Centre for Land Warfare Studies. ISBN 9789383649396. OCLC 903345328.
• Bakshi, G. D. (2013). Kishtwar Cauldron: The Struggle against the ISI's Ethnic Cleansing. Pentagon Press. ISBN 9788182747364. OCLC 864543669.
• Bakshi, G. D. (2010). Limited Wars in South Asia: Need for an Indian Doctrine. Centre for Land Warfare Studies. ISBN 9789380502458. OCLC 678542539.
• Bakshi, G. D. (2010). The Rise of Indian Military Power: Evolution of an Indian Strategic Culture. KW Publishers. ISBN 9788187966524. OCLC 473662691.
• Bakshi, G. D. (1999). Afghanistan, the First Fault-Line War. Lancer Publishers. ISBN 1897829493. OCLC 41213913.
• Bakshi, G. D. (1990). Mahabharata, a Military Analysis. Lancer International. ISBN 8170620945. OCLC 39223360.

Awards and decorations

References

1. "Major Gen GD Bakshi wants India to prep for another Mahabharata". Catchnews.
2. Bakshi, Major General G D (18 February 2019). Alt News https://www.altnews.in/general-g-d-bakshi-makes-false-claim-about-mehbooba-mufti-and-2014-budgam-firing/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. Singh, Nandita (4 July 2020). "Maj. Gen. GD Bakshi, shrillest warmonger in the media, hits new low with gaali on Republic TV". ThePrint.
4. Soldiers in the Sun and Snow: A History of the J&K Rifles, The J&K Rifles Regimental Centre Jabalpur, Kishtwar cauldron: The Struggle Against Ethnic Cleansing in Kishtwar, Pentagon Press, New Delhi 2010
5. "You have seen him on TV, but who is Gen GD Bakshi?". ABP Live.
6. w.dsalert.org/about-maj-gen-g-d-bakshi
7. Puri, Luv (25 September 2005). "Pir Panjal vulnerable despite people's might". The Hindu. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
8. Bakshi, G. D. "Promotion System in the Army: Dealing with Peacetime Atrophy". Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses.
9. "India's responses to Pakistan Army's braveness overdrive". salute.co.in.
10. Nandita Singh (4 July 2020). "Maj. Gen. GD Bakshi, shrillest warmonger in the media, hits new low with gaali on Republic TV". ThePrint. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
11. "Journalism as News Laundering and Bhakti". The Wire. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
12. "'M*******!!': Twitter in shock as Major Gen GD Bakshi curses on a live show". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
13. Bakshi, G.D. (14 June 2022). "Russia-Ukraine War: Lessons for India : The Grand Strategy With GD Bakshi". Republic World. YouTube.
14. Bose: The Indian Samurai - Netaji and the INA a Military Assessment. India: K W PUBL PVT Limited. 2016. p. 384. ISBN 9789383649921.

• 1950 births
• Living people
• People from Jabalpur
• Punjabi people
• Indian Hindus
• Indian generals
• University of Madras alumni
• Recipients of the Sena Medal
• Recipients of the Vishisht Seva Medal
• Indian Army officers
• National Defence Academy (India) alumni