Captain Shekhar Ghosh was born on 27 September 1975 in Barrackpore, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. The son of an Army veteran, he developed an interest in military service from an early age. During his student years, he joined the Senior Division of the NCC and was recognised for his performance as a cadet. He was also a talented sport shooter and participated successfully in national-level shooting competitions. After completing his graduation in English from Ram Lal Anand College, University of Delhi, he entered the Army through the Combined Defence Services route and was commissioned into the Army Service Corps in December 1997.
After commissioning, Captain Ghosh was posted to 2 Sikh, which was deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for counter-insurgency duties. He quickly became involved in operations against armed militants and earned a reputation for physical fitness, field skills and willingness to undertake demanding tasks. His performance was recognised with the Best Young Officer's Trophy in 1999 and a COAS Commendation Card in January 2000.
In August 2000, 2 Sikh was operating in the Rajouri district, where intelligence indicated the presence of terrorists in the Namblan area. On 11 August, Captain Ghosh led a search-and-cordon operation against the suspected hideout. When his team came under heavy fire and some of his soldiers were pinned down, he personally moved into the engagement, neutralised a terrorist and helped his comrades escape the immediate danger. Later in the operation, he again moved close to the hideout and engaged another terrorist at considerable personal risk.
The operation continued into the morning of 12 August. When an armed terrorist emerged from the hideout and began firing indiscriminately, Captain Ghosh immediately moved towards the threat without waiting for additional fire cover. He was struck by enemy fire and suffered fatal injuries. Captain Shekhar Ghosh made the supreme sacrifice at Namblan while leading his men in the counter-insurgency operation. For his courage, leadership and devotion to duty, he was posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra.