Second Lieutenant Prakash Narayan Shridhar Kotnis was born on 10 March 1939 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was educated at Balmohan Vidyamandir, Mumbai, and later completed a B.Sc. degree. Before joining the Army, he was working as an engineer.
Responding to the call of duty during the national emergency, he underwent military training and was commissioned into the 14 Field Regiment of the Regiment of Artillery. In 1965, he volunteered for active service and joined his unit during the Indo-Pakistani War.
During the 1965 war, 14 Field Regiment was deployed in the strategically important Chhamb sector, where Indian forces faced intense Pakistani artillery and armoured attacks. As a young artillery officer, Second Lieutenant Kotnis performed duties connected with maintaining accurate and continuous artillery fire support for Indian infantry and armoured elements under extremely hazardous battlefield conditions.
On 15 September 1965, while serving in operations in the Chhamb sector, Second Lieutenant Prakash Narayan Shridhar Kotnis made the supreme sacrifice at the age of 26.
His service and sacrifice remain a part of the proud history of the Regiment of Artillery and the Indian Army's operations during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War.