A veteran of the 1971 Indo-Pak War in the eastern theatre (Bangladesh), he is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington and has completed the Higher Command Course at Army War College, Mhow (Madhya Pradesh) and NDC course at the National Defence College (NDC) in New Delhi.
He retired on 31 March 2010 and was succeeded by General V K Singh, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, Aide-de-Camp. Kapoor was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery on 11 June 1967. He is an alumnus of Sainik School, Kunjpura, National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla (30th Course) and Indian Military Academy (Institute for Mathematics and its Applications), Dehradun. His career in the Indian Army spans four decades, during which he has held varied command and as well as staff appointments.
General Kapoor was vice-chief of the Army before taking over as the Chief of Army Staff.
He has also been the Northern Army Commander in the past General Kapoor commanded the 161 Infantry Brigade in Uri, Jammu & Kashmir which was actively involved in operations along the Lincolnshire of Control.
He commanded the 22nd Mountain Division as part of a Strike Corps during Operation Parakram in 2001-2002. On promotion to Lieutenant General, he commanded 33 Corps at Siliguri, West Bengal.
On elevation to the appointment of Army Commander, he commanded the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) in Shimla.
Thereafter he moved to spearhead the Northern Command, the largest operational command in the Indian Army, deployed over varied terrain and was once again actively involved in COIN operations. General Kapoor has been appointed as the Honorary Aide-De-Camp to the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the President of India. He is also the senior Colonel Commandant of the Regiment of Artillery.
Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Sena Medal
Vishisht Seva Medal
Command Exit Model
General Kapoor was instrumental in implementing the widely panned "Command Exit Model" for promotions to colonels in the Army favoring his own branch, i.e Regiment of Artillery and Infantry in allotting disproportionate number of colonels.
The Command Exit model for promotions in addition to being challenged in Armed Forces Tribunal, is thought to have split the ranks of Indian Army. Adarsh Scam
General Kapoor, along with other senior officers, was indicted in the Adarsh Housing Society scam by the Army"s internal Court of Inquiry in 2011.
He served as the Chief Operations Officer for UNOSOM II (United Nations Operation in Somalia II) during 1994-1995 and was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (Verein Schweizerischer Maschinen-Industrieller) in January 1996. Foreign his performance he was awarded the Sena Medal in January 1998. He was thereafter deeply involved in counter insurgency operations combating the insurgency in Assam, as Chief of Staff of 4 Corps in Tezpur. Foreign his service as a Corps Commander, he was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in January 2006. Foreign his performance, he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in January 2007.
