Kochi. Lieutenant Commander Ankit Kumar of the Navigation & Direction School of Southern Naval Command at Kochi was awarded the coveted Vice Admiral GM Hiranandani Memorial Rolling trophy by Rear Admiral RJ Nadkarni, AVSM, VSM, Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command during a ceremony held at Maritime Warfare Centre (Kochi) on April 27.
This trophy was instituted in the year 2013 for the officer performing best in Tactics during the Warfare Specialisation Course. The top five trainee specialist officers, along with volunteers from four Warfare Specialisations, namely Anti-Submarine Warfare, Communications, Gunnery and Navigation & Direction were assessed by a Board of Officers from the Maritime Warfare Centre (Kochi) under the aegis of the Director – presently, Commodore NAJ Joseph, VSM.
Speaking on the occasion, Rear Admiral Nadkarni emphasised the importance of specialist officers at sea and the need for them to be thorough professionals. He also stressed on the need to continue their quest for knowledge by further reading, research, discussion and developing the habit of in-depth analysis of situations at sea.
Book prizes were also awarded to Lieutenant Commander Adhiraj Seth for standing second and to Lieutenant Commander Ved Prakash Verma and Lieutenant Commander Brijesh Ojha for being joint third. Lieutenant Commander Abraham George Varghese and Lieutenant Commander Rajiv Lochan were also commended for performing exceeding well in the Oral Board akin to a Viva.
The trophy was instituted in the memory of the late Vice Admiral GM Hiranandani, who was the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command from 1985 to 1987 and retired as Vice Chief of Naval Staff in 1989. Vice Admiral Hiranandani was also the author of three volumes of the official History of the Indian Navy from 1965 to 2000 – Transition to Triumph (1965-1975), Transition to Eminence (1976-1990) and Transition to Guardianship (1991-2000). Rear Admiral Nadkarni paid tribute to Vice Admiral Hiranandani and his incalculable contribution to the development of the Indian Navy, as also in chronicling its glorious history.
