Commandant of the
Indian Naval Academy
Reports toFlag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command
SeatEzhimala, Kerala, India
Websitewww.ina.gov.in

The Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy is the head and in-charge of all the functioning of the Indian Naval Academy. The Commandant of the Academy is a Three-star rank officer holding the rank of Vice Admiral. He is supported by the Deputy Commandant, a Two star appointment and the heads of the Academic Wing (Rear Admiral Principal), Training Wing (Commodore rank officer) and the Admin wing (Commodore rank officer).[1] The current Commandant is Vice Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl.

History

The Naval Academy (NAVAC) was set up in Cochin in 1969 as a temporary institution, to train officers for the Navy. The first Officer-in-charge (OIC) was Commander Laxminarayan Ramdas. The title of the head of the institution changed to Commandant in 1980. The academy moved to Goa in 1986 under Commandants Captain M.S. Bedi and Captain O.P. Bansal.[2] In 2008, the academy moved to Ezhimala in Kerala and was re-christened the Indian Naval Academy (INA). Rear Admiral M. P. Muralidharan took over as the first Commandant of INA.[3]

List of Commandants

S.No Name Appointment Date Left Office Notes
1 Captain D Mohindra, NM, VSM September 1980 March 1982 [4]
2 Captain Madhvendra Singh March 1982 July 1983 Later served as the Chief of the Naval Staff[5]
3 Captain M V Karnik August 1983 April 1986
4 Captain M S Bedi April 1986 July 1986
5 Captain O P Bansal, VSM July 1986 June 1987
6 Captain K Mohan Rao, VSM July 1987 July 1989
7 Captain N P Mehta July 1989 August 1990
8 Captain K P Mathew August 1990 December 1991
9 Captain J S Bedi December 1991 June 1993
10 Commodore Nirmal Kumar Verma July 1993 September 1994 Later Chief of the Naval Staff.
11 Commodore N Venugopal, VSM September 1994 December 1997
12 Commodore R F Contractor December 1997 April 1999
10 Captain S P S Cheema, NM April 1999 June 2001 Later served as Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff,[6] Commander-in Chief Strategic Forces Command,[7] Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command,[8] and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command[9]
13 Captain K S Aiyappa June 2001 June 2004
14 Commodore N N Rao June 2004 June 2007
15 Captain M A Hampiholi June 2007 January 2008 Later served as Flag officer Commanding Western Fleet.[10]
Commandant INA, Ezhimala
16 Vice Admiral M P Muralidharan January 2008 [n 1] September 2009 First Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy at the Ezhimala campus.[12] Later served as Director General Indian Coast Guard (DGICG).[13]
17 Vice Admiral Anurag Thapliyal September 2009 [n 2] January 2012 [14][15][16] Later served as Director General Indian Coast Guard (DGICG) [17]
18 Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan February 2012 November 2013 [18]
19 Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar P, AVSM, VSM December 2013 October 2016 Later served as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command.
20 Vice Admiral SV Bhokare, YSM, NM October 2016 February 2018 Currently serving as Inspector General Nuclear Safety [19]
21 Vice Admiral R. B. Pandit, AVSM February 2018 June 2019 Currently serving as Current Commander-in-Chief,Strategic Forces Command.[20]
22 Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, AVSM, NM June 2019 July 2020 Current Chief of Personnel.[21][22]
23 Vice Admiral M. A. Hampiholi, AVSM, NM July 2020 29 November 2021 Current Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Naval Command[23]
24 Vice Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl, AVSM, VSM December 2021 Present [24]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Headquarters | INA". www.ina.gov.in.
  2. ^ Singh 2018, p. 183.
  3. ^ Singh 2018, p. 188.
  4. ^ "Gallery | INA". www.ina.gov.in.
  5. ^ "Change of guard". frontline.thehindu.com.
  6. ^ "New Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) Takes Over". pib.gov.in.
  7. ^ "Lt Gen Amit Sharma is new commander of strategic forces". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 13 June 2014.
  8. ^ "Vice Admiral SPS Cheema takes over as FOC-in-c (South) | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  9. ^ "Vice Admiral S.P.S Cheema new chief of Western Naval Command". Business Standard India. 31 March 2015.
  10. ^ "Rear Admiral MA Hampiholi, NM Takes Over as Western Fleet Commander | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  11. ^ a b Singh 2018, p. 187.
  12. ^ "Naval Academy bids adieu to Vice Admiral". The Hindu. 26 August 2009.
  13. ^ "Coast Guard Officers complete Training | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  14. ^ Anandan, S. (20 January 2012). "Naval Academy may enrol foreign trainees soon". The Hindu.
  15. ^ "h7". sainiksamachar.nic.in.
  16. ^ "Naval academy celebrates Independence Day". The Hindu. 15 August 2010.
  17. ^ "Vice Admiral Tapliyal, Director General Coast Guard Commissions CG Ship 'Abhinav' | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  18. ^ "Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan to take over as Commandant Indian Naval Academy (INA) | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  19. ^ "Inspector General Nuclear Safety (IGNS) | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  20. ^ "Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, AVSM, NM Assumes Charge as Commandant Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  21. ^ "Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, AVSM, NM Assumes Charge as Commandant Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  22. ^ Staff Reporter (28 July 2020). "New Commandant for Naval Academy". The Hindu.
  23. ^ Staff Reporter (28 July 2020). "New Commandant for Naval Academy". The Hindu.
  24. ^ "COMMANDANT,VICE ADMIRAL PUNEET K BAHL , AVSM, VSM". 27 December 2021.
  1. ^ Promoted to the rank of vice-admiral on 18 February 2009.[11]
  2. ^ Promoted to the rank of vice-admiral on 1 October 2009.[11]

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