Syed Ata Hasnain Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Syed Ata Hasnain

• On 16 June 1974, Syed Ata Hasnain joined the 4th Battalion, Garhwal Rifles.

• He was commissioned from the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, a unit commanded by his father, Syed Mahdi Hasnain.

  

  An old picture of Syed Mahdi Hasnain as a commander of the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun

• Later, Syed Ata Hasnain commanded the same battalion.

  

  An old picture of Syed Ata Hasnain during his cadet days in 1973

• From 1988 to 1990, he participated in Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka.

• After that, he joined the counter-insurgency operations in Punjab from 1990 to 1991.

• In the 1990s, Syed Ata Hasnain served with the United Nations in Mozambique and then in Rwanda, East Africa.

  

  An old picture of Syed Ata Hasnain during his UN tenure

• After that, he enrolled at the Army War College in Mhow, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, and completed the Higher Command Course.

• After completing the course, he started serving as Colonel General Staff at HQ Victor Force in Avantipura, South Kashmir. Reportedly, during his posting there, the militancy was very high.

• Syed Ata Hasnain was posted seven times in Jammu and Kashmir. His roles included Commanding Officer in Siachen Glacier, Colonel General Staff at Rashtriya Rifles Victor Force in South Kashmir, and Brigade Commander at Uri on the Line of Control (LoC).

• He has served as the General Officer Commanding of Dagger Division at Baramulla on the LoC in Kashmir.

• He then served as a Brigadier and commanded the 12th Infantry Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir.

• Later, he was promoted to the position of Major General and commanded the 19th Infantry Division in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, under the XV Corps.

• Syed Ata Hasnain was then designated as Lieutenant General. He served XXI Corps in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, as General Officer Commanding (GOC).

• He has commanded the Sudarshan Chakra Strike Corps at Bhopal.

• In 2000, he was chosen for the Executive Course at the Asia Pacific Centre in Hawaii.

• In 2006, he was chosen for a world top military program titled ‘the Royal College of Defence Studies Course’ in London, UK.

• In October 2010, he was appointed as GOC of XV Corps in Kashmir, where he conducted various meetings to solve the problems and issues of the local people by bringing the Army and the public closer.

  

  An old picture of Syed Ata Hasnain during the testing of a fighter jet

• That same year, he was appointed as the Corps Commander of 15 (Chinar) Corps during stone-throwing protests in Kashmir.

  

  Syed Ata Hasnain after being appointed as the Corps Commander of 15 (Chinar) Corps

• He is known for the Awami Sunwai programs.

• During his posting in Kashmir, Syed Ata Hasnainstarted the ‘Hearts Doctrine,’ which focused on the people of Kashmir and their problems.

• He then became known for focusing on security issues in Kashmir by using anti-infiltration and counter-terrorist operations methods. In this mission, he used the soft power of the military.

• On 12 September 2011, he was featured on the cover of the OUTLOOK magazine.
  

  Syed Ata Hasnain on the cover of OUTLOOK magazine

• He earned the name ‘People’s General’ for his social work and empowerment campaigns.

• That same year, Syed Ata Hasnain started the Kashmir Premier League (KPL), which built a good relationship between Kashmiris and Indian Army soldiers.

• While serving in charge in Kashmir, he used various smart ideas for conflict management.

• During this period, he served as a Security Adviser to the State Government.

• On 9 June 2012, he was appointed as the Military Secretary at Army Headquarters in New Delhi.

• His idea, ‘Playing Friend Not God,’ received appreciation from many higher authorities in the military and politics.

• Reportedly, many officials took his idea as a new guide for Human Resource management in and outside the military.

• After his retirement on 30 June 2013, Syed Ata Hasnain started writing on various topics to support and improve views on the Indian Army. He also started organising campaigns on this matter. He supports the military thinking and strategy culture in India.

• He has been invited to speak on these topics at various events organised by many huge companies, including Deloitte, Deutsche Bank, Ashok Leyland, Larsen & Toubro (Design), Amdocs Pune, Atoc, Sanofi Pasteur, SBI, KPMG, Amit Rathi, Mindtree, and Knight Frank India.

• Reportedly, his lectures are widely appreciated. His audience likes his passion, patriotism, and his connection with national security, everyday people, and businesses.

• He often participates in the Track 2 diplomacy meetings with Pakistan, where he shares his views on Jammu and Kashmir.

• He serves as a Visiting Fellow at Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi, and works as a Senior Fellow at Delhi Policy Group.

• He is also a member of the Governing Council of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.

• Apart from being a former military official, he is also an author. Syed Ata Hasnain writes articles for various noted publications, such as The Times of India, The Indian Express, The New Indian Express, The Asian Age, Brighter Kashmir, and The Tribune.

• He regularly covers various strategic topics through his articles.

• He often delivers lectures at the National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie and the National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics (NACEN) in Faridabad.

  

  Syed Ata Hasnain on the invitation of one of his lectures

• Syed Ata Hasnain delivers lectures on strategy topics and leadership at various educational organisations, such as thenstitute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), the National Defence College, the College of Defence Management, the Army War College in Mhow, the Defence Services Staff College, the College of Air Warfare, and the Jamia Millia Islamia.

• He often speaks at the seminars organised by the All India Management Association (AIMA) and at management schools like IIM Indore. He is also a member of AIMA.

• He is a regular speaker at the Rajaratnam School for International Studies in Singapore.

• The main topics of his lectures include National Security Perspective, Change Management, and the Future of Political Islam in areas such as Kashmir, Afghanistan, China, and Pakistan.

• Syed Ata Hasnain is a regular speaker at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) and the United Service Institution (USI).

• He is known for introducing the Scholar Warrior idea to the Indian Army. He first introduced this idea at the Army War College.

• He often speaks at the Young Presidents Organisation (YPO) and the Chennai chapter of the Entrepreneur Organisation of India on different topics.

• On 7 September 2013, he received his first civilian award from the Capital Foundation Society of Delhi for his high-level military leadership. He received the award from the then Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari of India.

• On 9 September 2013, he delivered a lecture on ‘Applying Counter Narratives in Conflict Stabilisation: The Heart is My Weapon Doctrine in Kashmir’s Conflict Zone’ at an event in the Global Town Hall in Singapore.
  

  Syed Ata Hasnain while delivering a lecture at a college

• The US-based Ali Soufan Group and Qatar International Academy for Security Studies run the hall.

• The event happened at the same time in New York, Singapore, Dakar, and Belfast.

• In 2015, Syed Ata Hasnain joined the Executive Council of the Prime Minister’s Library and Museum.

• In March 2017 and in December 2018, he delivered a lecture at the Regional Meeting of the Owner’s Forum, an international club for business families.

• One of his key events included a lecture to YPO Coastal California members on India-US relations.

• Various organisations often invite Hasnain as a top global speaker.

• Syed Ata Hasnain is known for his in-depth knowledge of history, politics, and world relations.

• Reportedly, in his lectures, he explains tough issues that take many days to study.

• On 13 July 2018, the President of India appointed him the Chancellor of the Central University of Kashmir.

• On 21 February 2020, he was appointed as a Member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). He also received the additional responsibility of the Empowered Committee for Information and Communication set up by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

• He often appears as a guest speaker on various news channels.
  

  Syed Ata Hasnain during a debate session on a news television channel

• He is fluent in English, Hindi, and Urdu.

• Syed Ata Hasnain serves at the India Foundation and consults for Surya Foundation, the two major organisations in Delhi.

• His last Army position was Military Secretary, where he worked in the HR department and handled 40,000 Army officers.

• On 5 May 2026, he was appointed as the Governor of Bihar by President Droupadi Murmu.