second lieutenant in the Army Electrical-Mechanical Engineering branch on 14 December 1958. He was promoted to lieutenant on 14 December 1960 and to captain on 14 December 1964. Seeing action during the 1965 war with Pakistan, he was wounded by a bullet in his spine, which left him confined to a wheelchair. He received an early discharge from the Army on 8 January 1968, with the honorary rank of major. Expeditions and adventures After treatment at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England, he continued to pursue his love of adventure by organising pioneering events such as the first Ski Expedition to Mount Trisul, the first Trans-Himalaya Motor Expedition (1983), and the Central Asia Cultural Expedition (1994) following the Silk & Marco Polo's Route through Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, entering China in the Asian City of Kashgar, Yarkhand and returned via Tibet and Kathmandu. Ahluwalia has also been the President of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation and Delhi Mountaineering Association. He was also the Chairman of Special Ability Trust (created to assist young achievers with disabilities with fellowships and scholarships), Youth Exploring Society (with its chapters in Ireland, West Germany and Italy), Rehabilitation Council of India (a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment), Chairman of Planning Committee of Persons with Disability of 12-year plan and Chairman of the Committee of Drafting Country Report. Professional career Realizing the needs of persons with spinal injuries, Ahluwalia, with the support of his friends, set up the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, India in 1993. He also served as an IOFS officer. His experiences have appeared in school books such as in the NCERT Class 8 English textbook. He met many great achievers such as Indira Gandhi, APJ Abdul Kalam et cetera. Positions Chairman – Indian Spinal Injuries Centre. Chairman – Planning Committee of Persons with Disability of 12 year plan and Chairman of the committee of drafting country report. Former president – Indian Mountaineering Foundation. Former president – Delhi Mountaineering Association. Former chairman – Special Ability Trust (created to assist young achievers with disabilities with *fellowships and scholarships). Former chairman – Youth Exploring Society (with its chapters in Ireland, West Germany and Italy). Former chairman – Rehabilitation Council of India (a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment). Member – Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. Member – Planning Commission – Steering committee of the Social Welfare