Commandant of the
National Defence Academy
Incumbent
Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar
AVSM, NM
since 1 April 2022
TypeMilitary
StatusActive
ResidenceCommandant's Residence, National Defence Academy
SeatNational Defence Academy
Formation1 January 1949
First holderMajor General Thakur Mahadeo Singh, DSO
DeputyRear Admiral S K Grewal, NM, VSM
Websitewww.nda.nic.in

The Commandant of the National Defence Academy is the head and overall in-charge of the National Defence Academy. The Commandant of the Academy is a Three-star rank officer from the three Services in rotation. He is supported by the Deputy Commandant (a Two-star rank appointment),[1] Brigadier Administration (Brig Adm),[2] Principal Director (Training)[3] (both One-Star appointments), a Civilian Principal[4] and the Adjutant (An Officer of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel).[5]

Commissioned as Joint Services Wing (JSW), the interim training academy was set up at the Indian Military Academy (IMA). The first Commandant of JSW was Major General Thakur Mahadeo Singh, DSO. The present-day National Defence Academy was constructed in Pune and was formally commissioned on 7 December 1954 as the successor to JSW of IMA. The program of JSW was transferred from IMA to NDA. Major General Enaith Habibullah was the last head of the JSW and the First Commandant of NDA at Pune.[6]

Joint Services Wing at Indian Military Academy

S.No. Name Branch Assumed office Left office Notes
1 Major General Thakur Mahadeo Singh, DSO  Indian Army 1 January 1949 12 March 1950 First head of JSW at IMA
2 Major General K S Thimayya, DSO  Indian Army 13 March 1950 16 June 1951 Later served as the Chief of Army Staff of Indian Army
3 Major General Mohinder Singh Wadalia  Indian Army 1 September 1951 6 January 1953 [7]
4 Major General Enaith Habibullah  Indian Army 7 January 1953 6 December 1954 Last head of JSW at IMA[8]

National Defence Academy

S.No. Name Branch Assumed office Left office Notes
1 Major General Enaith Habibullah  Indian Army 7 December 1954 26 December 1958 First Commandant at NDA, Khadakwasla
2 Rear Admiral Benjamin Abraham Samson  Indian Navy 27 December 1958 1 January 1963 First non-army and also the first Naval Officer to be the Commandant. Later Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet (FOCIF).
3 Air Vice Marshal K L Sondhi  Indian Air Force 6 January 1963 25 September 1963 First Air Force Officer to be the Commandant.
4 Major General R Bakhshi, MC  Indian Army 26 September 1963 8 August 1966
5 Air Vice Marshal S N Goyal  Indian Air Force 9 August 1966 18 June 1968
6 Rear Admiral R N Batra  Indian Navy 19 June 1968 15 October 1970
7 Major General S D Gupta  Indian Army 16 October 1970 1 January 1973
8 Air Vice Marshal M B Naik  Indian Air Force 3 January 1973 7 March 1976
9 Rear Admiral M P Awati, PVSM, VrC  Indian Navy 8 March 1976 22 July 1977 Later served as FOC-in-C, Western Naval Command.
10 Major General R K Jasbir Singh  Indian Army 22 July 1977 22 May 1979
11 Air Marshal M J Dotiwalla  Indian Air Force 9 July 1979 30 June 1982 First three-star air force officer (Air Marshal) to be the commandant.
12 Rear Admiral R P Sawhney  Indian Navy 1 July 1982 15 August 1985 First Ex-NDA commandant. Alumnus of the first NDA (JSW) Course.
13 Lieutenant General Sami Khan, PVSM, SM  Indian Army 16 August 1985 2 November 1986 First three-star army officer (Lt Gen) to be the commandant. Later served as GOC-in-C Central Command.
14 Lieutenant General K L K Singh  Indian Army 12 December 1986 28 June 1988
15 Air Marshal D S Sabhikhi, AVSM  Indian Air Force 29 June 1988 31 August 1991
16 Vice Admiral Inderjit Bedi, AVSM  Indian Navy 1 September 1991 11 October 1993 First three-star naval officer (V Adm) to be the commandant. Later served as FOC-in-C Southern Naval Command.
17 Lieutenant General S K Jetley, AVSM, SM  Indian Army 12 October 1993 24 March 1995
18 Air Marshal A S Sethi, ADC  Indian Air Force 25 March 1995 31 January 1996
19 Air Marshal J S Rai, VM & bar  Indian Air Force 0 February 1996 9 January 1997
20 Vice Admiral Arun Prakash, PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM  Indian Navy 31 July 1997 19 March 1999 Later served as the Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy
21 Lieutenant General S B S Kochar, PVSM, AVSM  Indian Army 13 April 1999 31 March 2001
22 Air Marshal A K Trikha, AVSM, VSM  Indian Air Force 1 April 2001 31 December 2002
23 Vice Admiral S C S Bangara, PVSM, AVSM  Indian Navy 31 December 2002 24 July 2004
24 Lieutenant General A K Chopra, PVSM, AVSM  Indian Army 4 August 2004 30 November 2006
25 Air Marshal T S Randhawa, VM  Indian Air Force 1 December 2006 31 December 2008
26 Vice Admiral R K Dhowan, AVSM, YSM  Indian Navy 1 January 2008 22 November 2009 Later served as the Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy.
27 Vice Admiral Satish Soni, AVSM, NM  Indian Navy 23 November 2009 31 December 2010 Later served as the FOC-in-C of Southern and Eastern Commands of Indian Navy.
28 Lieutenant General Jatinder Singh, AVSM & bar, SM  Indian Army 1 January 2011 5 July 2012 Removed from the position. Accused of being involved in recruitment scandal.[9]
29 Lieutenant General Ashok Singh, AVSM, SM, VSM  Indian Army 7 August 2012 31 December 2012 Later served as the GOC-in-C of Southern Command of Indian Army.[10]
30 Air Marshal K S Gill, AVSM, YSM, VM  Indian Air Force 1 January 2013 30 July 2014 Later served as the AOC-in-C of Central Command of Indian Air Force[11]
31 Air Marshal R K S Bhadauria, AVSM, VM  Indian Air Force 1 August 2014 30 January 2015 Later served as Chief of the Air Staff[12]
32 Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, AVSM, VSM  Indian Navy 1 April 2015 4 June 2016 Later served as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
33 Air Marshal Jasjit Singh Kler AVSM, VM  Indian Air Force 4 June 2016 31 March 2018
34 Air Marshal Vipin Indira Panabhan Nayar, VM  Indian Air Force 1 April 2018 15 December 2019 Later Commandant of the Air Force Academy[13]
35 Lieutenant General Asit Mistry, AVSM, SM, VSM  Indian Army 19 February 2020 30 October [14]
36 Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor AVSM, VM  Indian Air Force 31 October 2021 31 March 2022 [15]
37 Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, AVSM, NM  Indian Navy 1 April 2022 Present [16]

List of Commandants by branches of service

Army - 15
Navy - 11
Air Force - 14

See also

References

  1. ^ "National Defence Academy".
  2. ^ "National Defence Academy".
  3. ^ "National Defence Academy".
  4. ^ "National Defence Academy".
  5. ^ "National Defence Academy".
  6. ^ "National Defence Academy".
  7. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 13 October 1951. p. 195.
  8. ^ "Defence Academy recruitment scam: AK Antony orders shifting of commandant Lt. Gen Jatinder Singh". NDTV. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  9. ^ "Lt Gen Ashok Singh to be Southern Command chief". The Times of India. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  10. ^ "Air Marshal Gill takes over as new NDA Commandant – Indian Express". The Indian Express.
  11. ^ "Air Marshal R K S Bhadauria takes charge at National Defence Academy". The Times of India. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  12. ^ Feb 19, TNN. "Lt Gen Asit Mistry new NDA Commandant | Pune News". The Times of India.
  13. ^ Feb 19, TNN. "Lt Gen Asit Mistry new NDA Commandant | Pune News". The Times of India.
  14. ^ "Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor takes over as new NDA Commandant". The Times of India. 31 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  15. ^ "CHANGE AT THE HELM : VICE ADMIRAL AJAY KOCHHAR, AVSM, NM ASSUMES THE APPOINTMENT OF COMMANDANT NATIONAL DEFENCE ACDAEMY". pib.gov.in. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
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