 Dewan Prem Chand was born on 14 June 1916 in Muzaffargarh, British Raj to Dewan Khem Chand and his wife, members of a wealthy Punjabi "dewan" family.After an initial education at the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla, he studied at the Government College University in Lahore.In late 1934 Chand enrolled in the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, where he performed well academically.