Movatterモバイル変換

Chief Hydrographer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Senior Appointment in the Indian Navy

Chief Hydrographer
Flag of the Vice Admiral
Incumbent Vice Admiral Lochan Singh Pathania since 1 February 2024
Indian Navy
Reports to	Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
Seat	National Hydrographic Office,Dehradun
Salary	Joint Chief Hydrographer

TheChief Hydrographer to the Government of India is a senior appointment in theIndian Navy. The Chief Hydrographer is the executive head of theNational Hydrographic Office. The appointment is held by aThree star officer in the rank ofVice Admiral. The current Chief Hydrographer isVice Admiral Lochan Singh Pathania who took over on 1 February 2024.

History

[edit]

The Marine Survey of India (MSI) was established in 1874 at Kolkata and was responsible for hydrographic surveys. It was headed by the Surveyor-in-Charge, who functioned under theSurveyor General of India.^[1] After thepartition of India, the onlysurvey vessel HMIS Investigator was allotted to the MSI. On 1 Jun 1954, MSI was relocated to Dehradun, its present location, and was renamed Naval Hydrographic Office. The appointment ofSurveyor-in-Charge Marine Survey of India was re-designatedChief Hydrographer of the Navy. Captain SJ Hennessy took over as the first Chief Hydrographer.^[2]^[3]

The following year, on 26 November 1955,Captain Jal Cursetji, the senior most Indian officer in the Hydrographic Survey branch was appointed the first Chief Hydrographer.^[4] In 1964, with the increase in the responsibilities of the appointment, the Chief Hydrographer was re-designated as theChief Hydrographer to the Government of India.^[5]

Rear Admiral F. L. Fraser was the first Chief Hydrographer to be promoted to Flag rank, in 1977.^[6] Rear Admiral K. R. Srinivasan had the longest tenure, almost 10 years. Vice Admiral B. R. Rao was the first Chief Hydrographer to be promoted tothree-star rank.^[7]

Current organisation

[edit]

The Chief Hydrogapher is assisted by the Joint Chief Hydrographer, atwo-star officer of the rank ofRear Admiral. The units under the Chief Hydrographer are:

National Hydrographic Office, Dehradun
Directorate of Hydrography, Naval Headquarters
National Institute of Hydrography, Goa
Survey vessels at Chennai, Karwar, Kochi and Visakhapatnam
Survey Units at Karwar, Kochi, Mumbai, Sri Vijayapuram and Visakhapatnam
Charts Depots at Mumbai and Visakhapatnam

Chief Hydrographers

[edit]

S.No.	Name	Assumed office	Left office	Notes
1	Captain S. J. HennessyOBE, FRICS	15 August 1954	25 November 1955	^[2]
2	Captain Jal Cursetji	26 November 1955	27 October 1957	LaterChief of the Naval Staff.^[8]
3	Captain I. K. Puri	27 October 1957	28 May 1961	^[9]
4	Captain J. S. Mehra	29 May 1961	4 June 1962
5	Captain S. Rajendra	5 June 1962	3 January 1966
6	Commodore D. C. KapoorAVSM	4 January 1966	30 July 1972	First Asian to serve as Director ofInternational Hydrographic Organisation.^[10]
7	Rear Admiral F. L. FraserAVSM	31 July 1972^{[n 1]}	31 May 1982	First Chief Hydrographer to be promoted to Flag rank.
8	Rear Admiral A. G. Moraes	1 June 1982	29 December 1986
9	Rear Admiral V. K. SinghVSM	30 December 1986	31 May 1991	^[12]
10	Rear Admiral P. P. NandiAVSM, VSM	1 June 1991	8 June 1994	Died in harness.^[13]
11	Rear Admiral K. R. SrinivasanAVSM, NM, VSM	30 August 1994	30 June 2004	Longest tenure as Chief Hydrographer.^[14]
11	Vice Admiral B. R. RaoAVSM, NM, VSM	1 July 2004	30 September 2011	First Chief Hydrographer to be promoted to Vice Admiral.
12	Vice Admiral S. K. JhaAVSM, NM	1 October 2011	31 December 2015	^[15]
13	Vice Admiral Vinay BhadwarAVSM, NM	1 January 2016	30 September 2021	^[16]
14	Vice Admiral Adhir AroraAVSM, NM	1 October 2021	31 January 2024	^[17]
15	Vice Admiral Lochan Singh Pathania	1 February 2024	Present	Current Chief Hydrographer.^[18]

References

[edit]

^Hiranandani 1999.
^^a ^b"Chief Hydrographer".NHO. Retrieved25 September 2025.
^Doraibabu & Godbole 2023.
^Singh 2018.
^Hiranandani 2005.
^"CHIEF HYDROGRAPHER TO GOVERNMENT OF INDIA RETIRES"(PDF).archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved25 September 2025.
^"Mangalore: Vice Admiral B R Rao Makes His District Proud".www.daijiworld.com. Retrieved25 September 2025.
^"Indian Navy During 1954-55"(PDF).archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved25 September 2025.
^"Admiral Katari visits Naval Hydrographic Office"(PDF).archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved25 September 2025.
^"Indian Naval officer appointed Director of International Hydrographic Organisation"(PDF).archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved10 October 2025.
^"CHIEF HYDROGRAPHER TO GOVERNMENT OF INDIA RETIRES"(PDF).archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved25 September 2025.
^"Joint IOC-IHO Guiding Committee for the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans"(PDF).jodc.go.jp. Retrieved25 September 2025.
^"Rear Admiral PP Nandi, AVSM, VSM passes away"(PDF).archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved25 September 2025.
^"INDIAN NAVAL HYDROGRAPHIC DEPARTMENT GETS INTERNATIONAL MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AWARD".archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved25 September 2025.
^Service, Express News (20 December 2014)."Survey ship Decommissioned".The New Indian Express. Retrieved25 September 2025.
^archive, From our online (19 May 2020)."India's Chief Hydrographer Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar wins UK award".The New Indian Express. Retrieved25 September 2025.
^"VICE ADMIRAL ADHIR ARORA, NM ASSUMES CHARGE AS CHIEF HYDROGRAPHER TO THE GOVT OF INDIA".www.pib.gov.in. Retrieved25 September 2025.
^"Vice Admiral Lochan Singh Pathania assumes charge as Chief Hydrographer to the Govt. Of India".indiannavy.gov.in. Retrieved25 September 2025.

Notes

[edit]

^Promoted to Rear Admiral in 1977^[11]

Bibliography

[edit]

Doraibabu, M; Godbole, Amrut (2023),A Decade of Transformation: The Indian Navy 2011-2021, Harper Collins Publishers India,ISBN 9789394407909
Hiranandani, G. M. (1999),Transition to Triumph: History of the Indian Navy, 1965-1975, Spantech & Lancer,ISBN 978-1897829721
Hiranandani, G M (2005),Transition to eminence : the Indian navy 1976-1990, Lancer Publishers,ISBN 978-8170622666
Hiranandani, G. M. (2010),Transition to Guardianship: The Indian Navy 1991-2000, Lancer InterConsult, Incorporated,ISBN 978-1935501268
Singh, Anup (2018),Blue Waters Ahoy!: The Indian Navy 2001-2010, HarperCollins Publishers India,ISBN 978-9353025526

Indian Navy

Leadership

Components
and
Commands

Naval Commands

Operational	Western Naval Command Eastern Naval Command Southern Naval Command
Joint	Andaman and Nicobar Command Strategic Forces Command Defence Cyber Agency Defence Space Agency Armed Forces Special Operations Division

Fleets

Ship Squadrons

Bases

New Delhi	INS India
Western Naval Command	INS Dwarka INS Sardar Patel INS Kadamba INS Vajrakosh INHS Patanjali INS Gomantak INS Hansa INHS Jeevanti INS Angre INS Abhimanyu INS Agnibahu INHS Asvini INS Kunjali INS Shikra INS Tanaji INS Trata INS Tunir INS Vajrabahu
Southern Naval Command	INS Dweeprakshak INS Minicoy INS Androth INS Bitra INS Garuda INHS Sanjivani INS Venduruthy INS Dronacharya INS Chilka INHS Nivarani INS Mandovi INS Hamla INS Shivaji INHS Kasturi INS Valsura INS Agrani INS Zamorin INS Satavahana INS Vishwakarma INS Jatayu
Eastern Naval Command	INS Circars INS Dega INS Virbahu INHS Kalyani INS Kalinga INS Eksila INS Karna INS Adyar INS Rajali INS Parundu INS Kattabomman INS Tuticorin INS Netaji Subhash INS Paradip INS Bhubaneswar INS Varsha
Andaman and Nicobar Command	INS Kardip INS Jarawa INS Utkrosh INS Baaz INHS Dhanvantari INS Campbell Bay INS Kohassa

Equipment

Aircraft Squadrons

Fighter	300 303
Airborne Early Warning (AEW)	339
Anti-submarine (ASW)	330 333 336
Reconnaissance	342 343 344
Maritime patrol	312 315 318 550 313
Electronic Warfare	310 311
Multirole helicopter	322 323 334 350
Search & Rescue	321
Training	551 552 561

Military Academies

Education & Training	Sainik School Armed Forces Medical College Ajmer Military School Bangalore Military School Belgaum Military School Chail Military School Dholpur Military School Rashtriya Indian Military College
Schools & Colleges	Indian Naval Academy Naval War College
Tri-Service Institutions	Defence Services Staff College National Defence Academy National Defence College College of Defence Management Military Institute of Technology