Shimla: Lieutenant General P.C. Thimayya, who was serving as the 21st General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Army Training Command (GOC-in-C, ARTRAC) here, retired from service after duty hours on April 30, 2020, an Army official said.

Lieutenant General Pattacheruvanda Chengappa Thimayya, PVSM, VSM, ADC, had assumed office on Nov. 1, 2018 from Lt. Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane.

Profile: P.C. Thimayya was born on April 4, 1960  in Chettalli, Virajpet, Kodagu and is the son of late Pattacheruvanda Ponnappa Changappa and Gauru Changappa. An alumnus of Sainik School, Bhubaneswar; National Defence Academy, Pune and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, he was a Sword of Honour winner at the Indian Military Academy.

Thimayya was commissioned into Mechanised Infantry Regiment in 1981. He has served on both the Western and Eastern fronts. He has commanded a Mechanised Infantry Brigade; a Strike RAPID Division and X Corps – Bhatinda (July 5, 2017 – July 20, 2018). His staff appointments include Commandant of Army War College, Mhow; and Integrated Army HQ at MoD. 

He was promoted to Lieutenant General on January 5, 2017. He has also served as a Military Observer on the UN Mission in Angola and as a Defence Attache to Bangladesh. He was the Colonel of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment.

Lt. Gen. Thimayya is married to Neena Thimayya and they have two sons — Akshay is studying Mass Communication and Arjun is serving in the Indian Navy. Lt. Gen. Thimayya is decorated with Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal for his meritorious service.

To settle down in Mysuru

Lt. General P.C. Thimayya, PVSM, VSM, who retired with effect from May 1, 2020, after a long meritorious service, intends to settle down in Mysuru city, according to President of Mysuru-based VeKare Ex-servicemen Trust, Veteran Sgt.  Mandetira N. Subramani.

Speaking to ‘SOM’ yesterday, he said that Lt. Gen. Thimayya wishes to work for the welfare of Ex-servicemen by taking up their just causes in Mysuru and neighbouring districts in Southern Region of Karnataka.

Subramani also said that Lt. Gen. Thimayya would be the first Army Commander and Defence Officer of the rank of Lt. Gen. settling down in Mysuru city after retirement.