Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni

Admiral Jayant Ganpat "Podgy" Nadkarni, PVSM, AVSM, NM, VSM, ADC (5 December 1931 – 2 July 2018) was an Indian Navy Admiral who served as the 13th Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy from 1 December 1987 to 30 November 1990.


J G Nadkarni

Born(1931-12-05)5 December 1931
Died2 July 2018(2018-07-02) (aged 86)
Allegiance India
Service/branch Indian Navy
Years of service1949–1990
Rank Admiral
Commands heldEastern Naval Command
Western Fleet
INS Delhi (1948)
INS Talwar (1959)
Battles/warsLiberation of Goa
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
AwardsParam Vishisht Seva Medal
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Nausena Medal
Vishisht Seva Medal

Early life and education edit

Nadkarni was born on 5 December 1931.

He was a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and the Naval War College.[1]

Naval career edit

Nadkarni completed training at TS Dufferin and joined the Royal Indian Navy in March 1949. He received his basic training at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, on the training cruiser HMS Devonshire (39) and at other establishments of the Royal Navy. He specialized in navigation and direction. Commissioned on 1 September 1951, he was confirmed as a sub-lieutenant on 16 May 1953.[2]

Promoted to lieutenant-commander on 16 May 1961,[3] Nadkarni was the Navigating Officer of Cruiser INS Delhi during Liberation of Goa operations. Promoted to commander on 30 June 1967,[4] he served as the commanding officer of INS Talwar (1959) and INS Delhi (1948). He was promoted to captain on 30 June 1973.[5] His service ashore included Chief Instructor (Navy) at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and Chief Instructor Navy at the National Defence College.[6]

Flag rank edit

As a Rear Admiral, he was appointed the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF) on 30 May 1981. He subsequently was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral and appointed Chief of Personnel at Naval Headquarters (NHQ). He also served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-IN-C), Eastern Naval Command before being appointed the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS). On 1 December 1987,[7] he took command as the 14th Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) until his retirement on 30 November 1990.

Awards and decorations edit

Nadkarni was a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Nausena Medal and the Vishisht Seva Medal for his distinguished service.[1]

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

Personal life and death edit

Nadkarni married Vimal Divekar in 1956. The couple had two sons, one of whom is the retired Rear Admiral Ravindra Jayant Nadkarni. Nadkarni died on 2 July 2018 at INHS Asvini, aged 86.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Admiral Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni PVSM, AVSM, NM, VSM, ADC". Information Resource Facilitation Centre, Indian Navy. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  2. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 19 September 1953. p. 209.
  3. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 8 July 1961. p. 172.
  4. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 30 September 1967. p. 755.
  5. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 7 December 1974. p. 1362.
  6. ^ Rear Admiral Sushil Ramsay. "Modest to a Fault - Remembering Admiral Nadkarni". Quarterdeck 2019. 2019. Directorate of Ex-Servicemen Affairs, Indian Navy, Government of India: 12–13.
  7. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 26 March 1988. p. 474.
  8. ^ "Former Navy chief Admiral Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni passes away at 86". Business Standard. India. IANS. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
Military offices
Preceded by Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
1 July 1988 – 30 November 1990
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of the Naval Staff
1987–1990
Succeeded by
Preceded by Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command
1984-1986
Succeeded by
S. C. Chopra
Preceded by
S. L. Sethi
Chief of Personnel
1982-1984
Succeeded by
S. M. Gadihoke
Preceded by
Subimal Mookerjee
Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet
1981-1982
Succeeded by
K. K. Nayyar