Admiral
R H Tahiliani
PVSM, AVSM
6th Governor of Sikkim
In office
8 February 1990 – 20 September 1994
Appointed byPresident of India (then, R. Venkataraman)
Chief MinisterNar Bahadur Bhandari
Sanchaman Limboo
Preceded byS. K. Bhatnagar
Succeeded byP. Shiv Shankar
28th Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
In office
1 February 1986 – 30 November 1987
PresidentZail Singh (Acting)
R. Venkataraman
Prime MinisterRajiv Gandhi
Preceded byA. S. Vaidya
Succeeded byDenis La Fontaine
11th Chief of the Naval Staff (India)
In office
1 December 1984 – 30 November 1987
PresidentZail Singh (Acting)
R. Venkataraman
Prime MinisterRajiv Gandhi
Preceded byO. S. Dawson
Succeeded byJ. G. Nandkarni
Personal details
Born(1930-05-12)12 May 1930
Died14 October 2015(2015-10-14) (aged 85)
SpouseJaswanti Tahiliani
Children2, including Tarun Tahiliani
Nickname(s)Tally Ho
Ram T
Military service
Allegiance India
Branch/service Indian Navy
Years of service1950–1987
Rank Admiral
CommandsWestern Naval Command
Southern Naval Command
Western Fleet
Goa Area
INS Vikrant (1961)
INS Trishul (1960)
Battles/warsLiberation of Goa
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Awards
Later work(s)

Admiral Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani, PVSM, AVSM (12 May 1930 – 14 October 2015) was a Flag officer in the Indian Navy. He served as the 12th Chief of the Naval Staff from 1 December 1984 until 30 November 1987.[2] His prior commands included those as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-IN-C) of the Western Naval Command, FOC-IN-C of the Southern Naval Command and Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF). A carrier-based aircraft pilot, he also served as the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.

After retirement, Tahiliani served as the Governor of Sikkim from 1990 to 1994.[3] He was a founder member and chairman of the India chapter of Transparency International (TI). He also served on the board of TI.

Naval career

Tahiliani was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 September 1950, and was confirmed as a sub-lieutenant on 17 May 1952.[4] He joined the Indian Naval Air Arm and qualified as a pilot for carrier-based aircraft. He was a graduate of the Naval War College, United States and the National Defence College, New Delhi. He also qualified as a test pilot.

Promoted to lieutenant-commander on 16 July 1960,[5] he was the first naval pilot to land an aircraft on the deck of INS Vikrant, when he landed his Hawker Sea Hawk fighter on 18 May 1961. He served as a carrier-based strike pilot on board INS Vikrant; following his promotion to captain on 31 December 1970,[6] he commanded its carrier borne squadron during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. Later, he served as the commanding officer of INS Trishul (1960) and INS Vikrant.

Flag rank

Promoted to acting rear admiral on 30 December 1977,[7] he was appointed Flag Officer, Goa Area (FOGA), with promotion to substantive rear admiral on 1 February 1978.[8] Later, he was appointed the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF).[9]

His next appointment was as Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (ACNS) at Naval Headquarters (NHQ). This was followed by appointment as the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS). He was promoted to Vice Admiral while in this office. In February 1982, then vice admiral, Tahiliani was appointed the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-IN-C) Southern Naval Command. In March 1983, he was appointed the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command. In May 1984, he was appointed the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS).

On 1 December 1984, he took over as the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Indian Navy.[10]

Tahiliani retired from the Indian Navy on 30 November 1987.[2]

Later career

Admiral R H Tahiliani with former President of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Tahiliani served as the Governor of Sikkim between 8 February 1990 and 20 September 1994.

He helped launch the India chapter of Transparency International as a founder member in 1997. He served as the chairman of the India chapter practically from its founding until 2010 and was chairperson of Balvantray Mehta Vidya Bhawan Anguridevi Shersingh, a senior secondary school located in the South District of New Delhi, India.

Tahiliani was elected to the board of Transparency International in 2002.[11]

Personal life

Tahiliani was born into a Sindhi Hindu family, he was married to Jaswanti Tahiliani. His wife was the first female engineer in Mumbai. He is the father of noted Indian fashion designer, Tarun Tahiliani,[12] and executive director of Ensemble India, Tina Tahiliani Parikh. He died on 14 October 2015.[13]

Awards and decorations

Admiral Tahiliani was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal for his distinguished service.

Param Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal General Service Medal 1947 Samar Seva Star
Paschimi Star Raksha Medal Sangram Medal Sainya Seva Medal
25th Independence Anniversary Medal 30 Years Long Service Medal 20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal

References

  1. ^ "Balvantray Mehta Vidya Bhawan". BMVB ASMA. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Admiral Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani, PVSM, AVSM". Information Resource Facilitation Centre, Indian Navy. Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  3. ^ "Press Brief - Admiral Rh Tahiliani (Retd) passes away". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  4. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 13 September 1952. p. 200.
  5. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 5 December 1960. p. 322.
  6. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 14 August 1970. p. 945.
  7. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 24 June 1978. p. 620.
  8. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 27 January 1979. p. 65.
  9. ^ "Organisation of Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence" (PDF). Indian Navy. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  10. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 9 March 1985. p. 327.
  11. ^ "TI's Annual General Meeting elects new board members from Zimbabwe, Argentina, UK and India". Transparency International. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  12. ^ "Designs on the bride". India Today. 7 November 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  13. ^ "Ex-Indian Navy Chief Admiral Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani passes away". 14 October 2015.
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Military offices Preceded byM. K. Roy Commanding Officer INS Vikrant 1976 - 1977 Succeeded byJ. C. Puri New titleNew appointment Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area 1977 - 1979 Succeeded byK. K. Nayyar Preceded byManohar Prahlad Awati Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet 1979 - 1980 Succeeded bySubimal Mookerjee Preceded byD. S. Paintal Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff 1980 - 1982 Preceded byOscar Stanley Dawson Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command 1982 - 1983 Succeeded byK. K. Nayyar Preceded byManohar Prahlad Awati Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command 1983 - 1984 Succeeded bySubimal Mookerjee Preceded bySubimal Mookerjee Vice Chief of the Naval Staff 1984–1984 Succeeded byK. K. Nayyar Preceded byOscar Stanley Dawson Chief of the Naval Staff 1984–1987 Succeeded byJayant Ganpat Nadkarni Preceded byArun Shridhar Vaidya Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee 1 February 1986 – 30 November 1987 Succeeded byDenis La Fontaine
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