Commandant of the Indian Military Academy

Last updated

Commandant of the
Indian Military Academy
since 01 February 2024
TypeMilitary
StatusActive
Formation1932
First holder Brigadier Lionel Collins

The Commandant of the Indian Military Academy is a post created in 1932 for the purpose of leading the Indian Military Academy in its education of "gentleman cadets". The Commandant must hold a rank of lieutenant general (three star equivalent) or above. There is no minimum nor maximum term of service in this position though in practice commandants have served anywhere from a few months to 4 years in the position.

Contents

History

General Philip Chetwode chose Brig LP Collins (4 Gurkhas) as the first commandant. Brig LP Collins had the task of first acquiring the campus from the railways in Dehradun, and then converting it into an army training institution, taking ten months to do so. [1] On 1 October 1932, the raising day, Brig LP Collins issued a Special Order of the Day "The Indian Military Academy opens with effect from today [...]." [2]

There were a total of 5 British commandants including Brig LP Collins, after which Brig Thakur Mahadeo Singh was appointed as the first Commandant of Indian descent post-independence in 1947. [3] Brig Thakur Mahadeo Singh was followed by Maj Gen KS Thimayya who became the first IMA Commandant to go on to become the Chief of Army Staff in India. Brigadier M.M. Khanna was the first alumni of IMA alumni to be appointed Commandant. [3] [4]

Following a recommendation in 1983 by the Ministry of Defence the need was felt that cadets needed to know about application of science in weaponry. Lt Gen Mathew Thomas and all following commandants took note of these changes and implemented them. [5] Lt Gen M Thomas also suggested a change in syllabus, proposing new computer focused teaching methods as well as further emphasis on advanced training. This included sending cadets to the High Altitude Warfare School and the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School among other things. [6] Commandant Lt Gen Himmeth Singh appreciated the difficulties of modern warfare, but emphasized the human factor. [6] His outline of teaching is as follows:

"[...] the process of understanding the soldier must remain an on-going process and our skills in handling him suitably modified on requirement. It is by this process only that we shall get the best out of out men and above all not be found wanting by the men we command."

— Lt Gen Himmeth Singh [6]

Commandants

KS Thimayya, Commandant of IMA 1950-1951, went on to become the Chief of Army Staff in India. General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya.jpg
KS Thimayya, Commandant of IMA 1950-1951, went on to become the Chief of Army Staff in India.
Maj Gen K Zorawar Singh (1964 - 1966) Maj Gen K Zorawar Singh.jpg
Maj Gen K Zorawar Singh (1964 - 1966)

There have been a total of 49 Commandants [7] so far:

#StartEndRank/NameReferences
119321936Brig Lionel Peter Collins [4]
219361939Brig Harold Kingsley [8]
319391942Brig KD EL Young [9]
419421944Brig JK Jones [9]
519441947Brig Adrian B. Barltrop [9]
619471950Maj Gen Thakur Mahadeo Singh [4]
719501951Maj Gen KS Thimayya [9]
819511953Maj Gen MS Wadalia [9]
919531954Maj Gen Enaith Habibullah [9]
1019541956Brig Apji Randhir Singh [9]
1119561958Brig MM Khanna [4]
1219581959Brig Gobinder Singh [9]
1319601962Brig ND Nanavati [9]
1419621963Brig PS Bhagat [9]
1519631964Maj Gen SC Pandit [9]
1619641966Maj Gen K Zorawar Singh [10]
1719661967Maj Gen JT Sataravala [10]
1819671969Maj Gen D K Palit [10]
1919691972Maj Gen Rajindra Prasad [10]
2019721974Maj Gen IC Katoch [10]
2119741975Maj Gen BR Prabhu [10]
2219751976Maj Gen SC Sinha [10]
2319761979Maj Gen GS Rawat [10]
2419791980Maj Gen Rajendra Nath [10]
2519801983Lt Gen M Thomas [10]
2619831984Lt Gen Himmeth Singh [10]
2719841986Lt Gen BB Sehgal [10]
2819861986Lt Gen SS Brar [10]
2919861988Lt Gen VP Gupta [10]
3019881990Lt Gen NPS Bal [10]
3119901991Lt Gen YS Tomar [10]
3219911991Lt Gen MA Zaki [10]
3319911994Lt Gen JC Pant [11]
3419941996Lt Gen Inder Verma [11]
3519961998Lt Gen AS Sandhu [11]
3619981999Lt Gen MA Gurbaxani Sahi [11]
3719992001Lt Gen Yuvraj Mehta [12] [11]
3820012003Lt Gen TS Shergill [13] [11]
3920032004Lt Gen GS Negi [11]
4020042006Lt Gen KK Khanna [14] [15]
4120062008Lt Gen PK Rampal [15]
4220082011Lt Gen R. Singh Sujlana [16]
4320112015Lt Gen Manvender Singh [17]
4420152015Lt Gen Balwant Singh Negi [18]
4520162016Lt Gen Satinder Kumar Saini [19]
4620162017Lt Gen Santosh Kumar Upadhya [20]
4720182018Lt Gen Satinder Kumar Saini [21]
4820182020Lt Gen Sanjay Kumar Jha [22]
49August 2020Sept 2020Lt Gen Jaiveer Singh Negi [23]
50October 2020August 2022Lt Gen Harinder Singh [24]
51September 2022January 2024Lt Gen Vijay Kumar Mishra [25]
52February 2024Till DateLt Gen Sandeep Jain [26]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Singh 2007, p. 21.
  2. ↑ Singh 2007, p. 22.
  3. 1 2 Singh 2007.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Lieutenant General SK Saini takes over as 46th Commandant of Indian Military Academy". Jagranjosh. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  5. ↑ Singh 2007, p. 189.
  6. 1 2 3 Singh 2007, p. 190.
  7. ↑ "The Official Home Page of the Indian Army| Commandants of the Indian Military Academy". Indian Army. Archived from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  8. ↑ "Commandants of IMA". Indian Army. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Singh 2007, p. 221, Appendix A.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Singh 2007, p. 222, Appendix A.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Singh 2007, p. 205.
  12. ↑ Joshi, Sandeep (11 June 2001). "Army jobs 'less attractive'". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  13. ↑ "1964 batch of IMA officers likely to congregate in Doon". The Pioneer. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  14. ↑ "Lt. Gen K K Khanna is new IMA chief". Zee News. 30 November 2004. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  15. 1 2 Singh 2007, p. 206.
  16. ↑ "Lt Gen Sujlana is new IMA chief". Zee News. 1 October 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  17. ↑ "IMA Commandant lt Gen Manvender Singh retires". The Pioneer. 31 May 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  18. ↑ "Lt General Balwant Singh Negi takes over as Indian Military Academy Commandant". The Economic Times. PTI. 14 July 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  19. ↑ "Lt Gen Saini is IMA Commandant". www.tribuneindia.com. Tribune India.
  20. ↑ Pioneer, The. "lt-Gen Santosh Upadhya to be new IMA commandant". The Pioneer.
  21. ↑ "Lt General Saini new commandant of Indian Military Academy". The Economic Times. PTI. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  22. ↑ Pioneer. "87th raising day of IMA celebrated". The Pioneer. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  23. ↑ Pioneer, The. "Lt Gen Negi takes over as 49th commandant of IMA". The Pioneer. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  24. ↑ "New IMA Commandant Lt General Harinder Singh".
  25. ↑ "Lt Gen VK Mishra takes charge as IMA's 51st commandant". The Times of India. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  26. ↑ https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/lt-gen-sandeep-jain-takes-over-as-commandant-of-indian-military-academy-586342 [ bare URL ]

Bibliography

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