Born on 17 September 1945, General J.J. Singh, a highly decorated soldier, is a graduate of the National Defence Academy, the Indian Military Academy, the Defence Services Staff College and the National Defence College. A veteran of active operations in Nagaland during the 1960s, Arunachal Pradesh in the 1980s and Jammu and Kashmir during 1991–92, General Singh served as India’s defence attaché to Algeria from 1987 to 1990.
The chief of army staff from 31 January 2005 to 30 September 2007, General Singh was also the chairman of chiefs of staff committee in 2007. Soon after retirement, General Singh was appointed as the governor of Arunachal Pradesh. He has received a number of civilian honours and awards for his outstanding leadership.