Colonel Ajay Kothiyal is a former officer of the Indian Army who has been awarded the Keerti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra, and VishishtaSeva Medal.
On February 26, 1969, he was born as the eldest son of SatyasaranKothiyal(Retired Inspector General, Border Security Force) and SushilaKothiyal.
Having completed his graduation, he cleared the examination of CDS and joined the Fourth Battalion of Garhwal Rifles Regiment as Second Lieutenant in 1992. Furthermore, in 1994, Colonel Kothiyal started training in ‘Basic Mountain Warfare’ from the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS).
He was the principal of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering(NIM), a mountaineer, and a philanthropist.
Mr. Kothiyalserving, as a Major in the Indian Army, had successfully summited Mount Everest in 2001, under the direction of Brigadier Kishan Kumar AVSM.
In the year 2013, when the Natural Disaster ensued in Uttarakhand, Colonel Ajay Kothiyal and his team were amongst the first to reach the spot. They were given the responsibility of the search and rescue mission.
Under his supervision and direction, Kedarnath was reconstructed and restored.
That same year he founded a non-profit organization called ‘Youth Foundation’, which helps the youth in rural regions of Garhwal to join Indian Military and Para Military Services.
Even when the Kedarnath temple got ruined in the flash flood in 2013, Mr. Kothiyal was appointed as the head of NIM and was given the task of rescue and rehabilitation. Kothiyal chose to stay unwed and dedicated his life to the nation. He was also awarded the Uttarakhand Ratna Award’ in the year 2016 for his contributions to the upliftment and welfare of the youth of Uttarakhand.