Second Lieutenant Rakesh Singh Malhan was born on 18 September 1970 in Chandigarh into a distinguished military family. He was the son of Colonel Raj Singh, an Army veteran, and Smt Savitri. His grandfather had also served in the Indian Army, and Rakesh grew up in an environment deeply connected with military service. Inspired by his family's tradition of service, he developed a strong desire to join the Armed Forces from an early age.
Rakesh completed his early schooling at St. Joseph's Boys' High School, Kirkee, Pune, and later studied at Model School, Rohtak. He subsequently joined the National Defence Academy at Khadakwasla. He was a member of the 78th NDA course and was commissioned into the 22nd Battalion of The Grenadiers as a Second Lieutenant on 13 June 1992.
After commissioning, 2nd Lt Rakesh Singh joined 22 Grenadiers in Jammu & Kashmir during a period of intense militancy. As a young company officer, he actively participated in counter-insurgency operations and was known for volunteering to lead cordon-and-search operations against militants.
On 5 December 1992, his company was assigned the task of cutting off the escape route of eight Afghan Mujahideen who had been flushed out during an operation in the Shopian area of Jammu & Kashmir. 2nd Lt Rakesh Singh took the initiative to block their escape. In the ensuing engagement, he single-handedly killed five of the fleeing militants.
During the fierce encounter, he sustained serious injuries. Despite his wounds, he continued to engage the militants and remained committed to completing his mission. He eventually succumbed to his injuries on 5 December 1992 at the age of 22.
2nd Lt Rakesh Singh Malhan had served in the Indian Army for less than six months, yet his courage and determination during the operation became an enduring example of leadership and devotion to duty. In recognition of his exceptional gallantry and supreme sacrifice, he was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra in 1993, India's highest peacetime gallantry award.
His parental village was Subana in Jhajjar district, Haryana. He is remembered as one of the young officers who made the supreme sacrifice during the early years of the Army's counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir.