Commandant of the National Defence Academy

Last updated

Commandant of the
National Defence Academy
VAdm Gurcharan Singh.jpg
since 25 May 2024
TypeMilitary
StatusActive
Residence Commandant's Residence, National Defence Academy
Seat National Defence Academy
Formation1 January 1949
First holder Major General Thakur Mahadeo Singh, DSO
Deputy Air Vice Marshal S Bedi, VM, VSM
Website www.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]

Contents

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.NameBranchAssumed officeLeft officeNotes
1 Major General Thakur Mahadeo Singh, DSO Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 1 January 194912 March 1950First head of JSW at IMA
2Major General K S Thimayya, DSO Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 13 March 195017 June 1951Later served as the Chief of Army Staff of Indian Army
3Major General Mohinder Singh Wadalia Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 16 Jun 19516 January 1953 [7]
4Major General Enaith Habibullah Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 7 January 19536 December 1954Last head of JSW at IMA [8]

National Defence Academy

S.No.NameBranchAssumed officeLeft officeNotes
1 Major General Enaith Habibullah Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 7 December 195426 December 1958First Commandant at NDA, Khadakwasla
2 Rear Admiral Benjamin Abraham Samson Naval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy 27 December 19581 January 1963First 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 SondhiAir Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force 6 January 196325 September 1963First Air Force Officer to be the Commandant.
4Major General R Bakhshi, MC Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 26 September 19638 August 1966
5Air Vice Marshal S N GoyalAir Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force 9 August 196618 June 1968
6Rear Admiral R N BatraNaval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy 19 June 196805 October 1970
7Major General S D GuptaFlag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 16 October 19701 January 1973
8Air Vice Marshal M B NaikAir Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force 3 January 19737 March 1976
9Rear Admiral M P Awati, PVSM, VrC Naval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy 8 March 197622 July 1977Later served as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command.
10Major General R K Jasbir SinghFlag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 22 July 197721 May 1979
11Air Marshal M J DotiwallaAir Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force 9 July 197930 June 1982First three-star air force officer (Air Marshal) to be the commandant.
12Rear Admiral R P SawhneyNaval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy 1 July 198215 August 1985First Ex-NDA commandant. Alumnus of the first NDA (JSW) Course.
13 Lieutenant General Sami Khan, PVSM, SM Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 16 August 19852 November 1986First three-star army officer (Lieutenant General) to be the commandant. Later served as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Command.
14Lieutenant General K L K SinghFlag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 12 December 198628 June 1988
15 Air Marshal D S Sabhikhi, AVSM Air Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force 29 June 198831 August 1991
16 Vice Admiral Inderjit Bedi, AVSM Naval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy 1 September 199111 October 1993First three-star naval officer (Vice Admiral) to be the commandant. Later served as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command.
17Lieutenant General S K Jetley, AVSM, SM Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 12 October 199324 March 1995
18Air Marshal A S Sethi, ADC Air Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force 25 March 199531 January 1996
19Air Marshal J S Rai, VM & bar Air Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force 1 February 19969 June 1997
20Vice Admiral Arun Prakash, AVSM, VrC, VSM Naval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy 31 July 199719 March 1999Later served as the Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy
21Lieutenant General S B S Kochar, PVSM, AVSM Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 12 April 199931 March 2001
22Air Marshal A K Trikha, AVSM, VSM Air Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force 1 April 200131 December 2002
23Vice Admiral S C S Bangara, PVSM, AVSM Naval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy 01 January 200324 July 2004
24Lieutenant General A K Chopra, PVSM, AVSM Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 4 August 200430 November 2006
25Air Marshal T S Randhawa, VM Air Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force 1 December 200631 December 2008
26Vice Admiral R K Dhowan, AVSM, YSM Naval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy 1 January 200929 November 2009Later served as the Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy.
27Vice Admiral Satish Soni, AVSM, NM Naval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy 29 November 20091 January 2011Later served as the FOC-in-C of Southern and Eastern Commands of Indian Navy.
28Lieutenant General Jatinder Singh, AVSM & bar, SM Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 1 January 20115 July 2012Removed from the position. Accused of being involved in recruitment scandal. [9]
29Lieutenant General Ashok Singh, AVSM, SM, VSM Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 7 August 201231 December 2012Later served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Command. [10]
30Air Marshal K S Gill, AVSM, YSM, VM Air Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force 1 January 201331 July 2014Later served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Air Command. [11]
31Air Marshal R K S Bhadauria, AVSM, VM Air Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force 1 August 201431 January 2015Later served as Chief of the Air Staff [12]
32Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, AVSM, VSM Naval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy 1 April 20152 June 2016Later served as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
33Air Marshal Jasjit Singh Kler AVSM, VM Air Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force 20 June 201631 March 2018
34Air Marshal Vipin Indira Panabhan Nayar, VM Air Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force 7 April 201814 December 2019Later Commandant of the Air Force Academy. [13]
35Lieutenant General Asit Mistry, AVSM, SM, VSM Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 1 February 202031 October 2021 [13]
36Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor AVSM, VM Air Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian Air Force 01 November 202131 March 2022Later Commandant of the Air Force Academy. [14]
37Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, AVSM, NM Naval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy 1 April 202224 May 2024Current Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command. [15]
38Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh, AVSM, NM Naval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy 25 May 2024Present [16]

List of Commandants by branches of service

BranchCount
Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army 16
Naval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy 12
Air Force Ensign of India.svg  Indian 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. 1 2 Feb 19, TNN. "Lt Gen Asit Mistry new NDA Commandant | Pune News". The Times of India.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. "Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor takes over as new NDA Commandant". The Times of India. 31 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  14. "CHANGE AT THE HELM : VICE ADMIRAL AJAY KOCHHAR, AVSM, NM ASSUMES THE APPOINTMENT OF COMMANDANT NATIONAL DEFENCE ACADEMY". pib.gov.in. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  15. "Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh takes over as Commandant, National Defence Academy". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 May 2024.