Admiral Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni

Admiral J G Nadkarni
PVSM, AVSM, NM, VSM, ADC
CNS, 30 Nov 1987 - 30 Nov 1990

Admiral Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni assumed charge of the Indian Navy, as the 12th Chief of Naval Staff, on 30 November 1987. Born in Bombay on 05 December 1931, he did his early schooling in the city and joined the Indian Mercantile Marine Training Ship DUFFERIN in 1946.

On completion of three years' of training on board the DUFFERIN, Admiral Nadkarni graduated with distinction in December 1948. He then joined the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) in March 1949 and proceeded to the United Kingdom for his initial training. He received training there, from 1949-53, during which he served on aircraft carriers and destroyers.

Admiral Nadkarni subsequently returned to India as the commissioning crew of the Hunt Class destroyer, INS Ganga. Subsequently, he specialised in Navigation and Direction and was the Navigating Officer of the cruiser, INS Delhi for over four years. He has also held command of INS Talwar and INS Delhi. In the latter appointment, he was also the Senior Officer, First Training Squadron.

His important shore appointments include Chief Instructor at Defence Services Staff College, Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command and the Senior Directing Staff at National Defence College, New Delhi. Promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral in December 1980, he commanded the Western Fleet from May 1981 to August 1982. Promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral in August 1982, he held the post of Chief of Personnel at Naval HQ until April 1984. He was then appointed as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command and became the Vice Chief of Naval Staff at Naval HQ in February 1986.

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Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas

Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas
PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM, ADC
CNS, 30 Nov 1990 - 30 Sep 1993

Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas assumed charge of the Indian Navy, as the 13th Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), on 30 November 1990. Born on 05 September 1933, he was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 September 1953 after training at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England.

A Communication Specialist, Admiral Ramdas underwent Royal Naval Staff College at England and as a Commander he established and commanded the Naval Academy at Cochin where he distinguished himself for which he was awarded Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM). During the 1971 Indo-Pak Operations, whilst in command of INS Beas, Admiral Ramdas took part in the most effective naval blockade of East Pakistan (Bangladesh) which frustrated Pakistan's attempt to evacuate 91,000 of their troops who eventually surrendered to the Indian Forces.

INS Beas also captured a large number of ships carrying contraband to East Pakistan, bombarded Cox Bazar and took part in the landing and other operations in an area infested with mines and submarines. For his resolute, bold, gallant and imaginative action in the face of great danger, he was decorated with the Vir Chakra. He later commanded a Patrol Vessel Squadron in the Indian Navy.

Admiral Ramdas served as Naval Attaché in Germany for three years. He held the appointments of Director of Personnel, Director of Naval Signals and Director of Naval Operations at the Naval HQ. Other notable appointments he held were Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Operations), Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (DNCS) and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command.

Prior to taking over as Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Ramdas was the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command which he held since February 1989. A distinguished sportsman, an enthusiast of sailing and adventure activities, he promoted sports and adventure activities in the Navy to a great extent. He is a recipient of Param Vishist Seva Medal (PVSM) and the Ati Vishist Seva Medal (AVSM) in addition to the Vir Chakra (VrC) and the Vishist Seva Medal (VSM). Married to Lalita Ramdas since 19 October 1961, he has three daughters and three grandchildren. His interests include history, golf, cricket and yachting.

Admiral Vishnu Baghwat

Admiral Vishnu Baghwat
PVSM, AVSM, ADC
CNS, 30 Sep 1996 - 30 Dec 1998

Admiral Vishnu Baghwat assumed charge of the Indian Navy, as the 15th Chief of Naval Staff, on 30 September 1996. Commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 January 1960, he is a graduate of the National Defence Academy (NDA). He was awarded the Telescope for the Best All-Round Cadet on the training vessel, INS Tir and the Sword of Honour for the Best All-Round Midshipman of the Fleet.

In his 36 years of distinguished service, Admiral Bhagwat has had a vast and varied experience in combat operations, warship production, acquisition & acceptance, personnel management and command. He was actively associated with the 1961 Goa operations, and during the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict, his ship was in the escort groups for missile boats responsible for humbling the adversary. A specialist in Communication & Electronic Warfare, he was the Flag Lieutenant to the CNS from 1968-70 and the Naval Assistant to the CNS from 1986-87.

Admiral Bhagwat completed his first major command in INS Amini with the Western Fleet, before being assigned as the Fleet Operations Officer of the same fleet, from 1978-79. He commissioned INS Ranjit in November 1983 and was in command of the vessel for 2½ years during which the ship set new fleet standards/records in weapons, sensors and operations. On promotion to the Flag rank in 1988, he served as the Additional Director General Defence Planning Staff, Chief of Staff of Western Naval Command and as the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet.

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Admiral Vijai Singh Shekhawat

Admiral V S Shekhawat
PVSM, AVSM, VrC, ADC
CNS, 30 Sep 1993 - 30 Sep 1996

Admiral Vijai Singh Shekhawat assumed charge of the Indian Navy, as the 14th Chief of Naval Staff, on 30 September 1993. Having grown up in a military environment, he spent his childhood years in various cantonments including Peshawar (Pakistan) and Dhaka (Bangladesh) in the then undivided India. His father, a paratrooper, was amongst the first officers to be commissioned from the Indian Military Academy (IMA). Passing through several schools as the family moved on transfers, his main education was in Colonel Brown's School and St. Joseph's Academy in Dehradun, Bishop Cotton Boys' School in Bangalore and St Joseph's College in North Point, Darjeeling.

His interest in the sea developed early from reading stories of sailing ships, pirates and far off islands, and joining the navy was almost a foregone conclusion. He was selected for the 7th Course of the Joint Services Wing, National Defence Academy, then at Clement Town, Dehradun in January 1952. He was first in overall order of merit and awarded the President's Gold Medal for the best all-round cadet on passing out in December 1953. During his Academy days, he was an outstanding sportsman and was awarded Blues in Athletics, Boxing, Football, Swimming and Riding. His early riding experience with the Mysore and the Gwalior Lancers stood him in good stead and he won the first prize in Cadet's Show Jumping at the first post-war Army Horse Show held in New Delhi in 1954. He was a member of the academy debating teams participation in inter-university debates, notably against Oxford University, and also a prominent member of the Dramatics.

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Admiral Sushil Kumar

Admiral Sushil Kumar
PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, NM, ADC
CNS, 30 Dec 1998 - 29 Dec 2001

Admiral Sushil Kumar assumed charge of the Indian Navy, as the 16th Chief of Naval Staff, on 30 December 1998. A specialist in hydrography  and amphibious warfare, he is also a qualified air warfare instructor. He has participated in the 1961 Goa Liberation and in both the Indo-Pak Wars of 1965 and 1971. As Director of Naval Operations, he was decorated with an Uttam Yudh Seva Medal for his exceptional conduct in Operation Pawan (Sri Lankan Operations) and in Operation Cactus (Liberation of Maldives. He was awarded the Naosena Medal (NM) for gallantry whilst in command of INS Ghorpad. He is an alumni of the National Defence College and was an instructor at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. His training abroad includes a deputation to the Royal Navy onboard HMS Dampier in 1963 and a course in amphibious warfare with the US Navy at Coronado, San Diego, in 1976.

Admiral Kumar has held operational commands and important posts such as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff, the Flag Officer Maharashtra Area, Commander of the Flotilla in Mumbai and Fortress Commander Andaman & Nicobar Islands. He was the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command in Kochi, before being appointed as the Chief of Naval Staff. During his tenure as CNS, Admiral Kumar was the highest-decorated 'serving' officer in the Indian Navy and upon his retirement on 29 December 2001, he completed 40+ years of distinguished service. He is a keen yachtsman and has the rare distinction as a Naval Officer to have played polo on the international circuit with an international rating of 4+ goals.