For the first time in the history of the National Defence Academy, the cadet who was awarded the gold medal was also first in order of merit.

(source :General himself and from his profile) At the outbreak of the Pakistani-Bangladesh War of 1971, Cardozo was attending a course at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.

He arrived at his battalion in time to accompany them on the Indian Army's first heliborne operation during the battle of Sylhet.

[7] However, the veracity of the account has been questioned by Brigadier (Retd) Rattan Kaul stating that Cardozo stepped on a mine set up by his own forces, hence was a battle accident casualty and was brought to battalion medical post and Captain DK Sengupta, Regimental Medical Officer was the one who cut the hanging ligament.

[9] Rattan Kaul's version was also produced at the instance of Press Council of India in newspaper, The Hindu on August 2, 2023.

He then put his case to the Chief of Army Staff at the time, Gen. Tapishwar Narain Raina, who then asked Cardozo to accompany him to Ladakh.

After observing that Cardozo could still walk in the mountains through snow and ice, Gen. Raina allowed him to command a battalion.