Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha PVSM,AVSM,NM**,ADC
Born	(1954-08-10)10 August 1954 (age 71) Baluatoli,Purnia,Bihar
Allegiance	India
Branch	Indian Navy
Service years	1974 - 2014
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands	Western Naval Command Western Fleet INS Hansa INS Saryu INS Shakti INS Delhi
Awards	Param Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Nao Sena Medal& Bar

Vice AdmiralShekhar Sinha,PVSM,AVSM,NM& Bar,ADC is a formerThree star Admiral of theIndian Navy.

Sinha joined the Navy in 1974 in the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy. He was a Naval aviator. AFighter pilot, he flew theSea Harrier.

He commanded two Sea Harrier Squadrons as well asAir Station Hansa. Adm Sinha has commanded the firstSaryu-class patrol vesselINS Saryu, theDeepak-classfleet tankerINS Shakti and theguided-missile destroyerINS Delhi. He was appointed as the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet. His tenure was significant in which he was responsible for planning and execution, deployment of Western Fleet ships and submarines in Operations Parakram short of war post Parliament attack by Pakistan based terrorists. In this operations Karachi harbour was virtually blocked and entire Makran coast was under constant surveillance for action.^[1]

Ashore as aFlag Officer, he served asFlag Officer Commanding Goa Naval Area (FOGA) &Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA),Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air) as well as Controller Personnel Services. As aRear Admiral, Sinha served as theFlag Officer Commanding Western Fleet from 2007 to 2008.In a short stint in 2011, he served as the 6thChief of Integrated Defence Staff.^[1]In 2012, Vice Adm Sinha was appointed Flag Officer Commanding-in-ChiefWestern Naval Command.^[1]

During his distinguished career, he has been conferred upon Param Vishisht Seva Medal(PVSM),Ati Vishisht Seva Medal(AVSM), Nao Sena Medal and Bar (NM&Bar) both Gallantry. He earned his second gallantry award during Op Pawan in Command of CGShip Rani Jindan for operations against terrorist organisations active in Palk Bay and surrounding seas.

In 2014, the Government accepted the "voluntary retirement" of Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha, who had put in his papers afterAdmiralRobin K. Dhowan, six months junior, superseded him to become the 22ndChief of the Naval Staff.^[2] The Ministry of Defence's junking of the seniority principle has sparked some concern in military circles because successive governments have almost always stuck to it in appointing service chiefs. The chain of seniority in Indian military is considered virtually sacrosanct, with supersession being exceptionally rare.

The incumbentChief of the Naval Staff,AdmiralD K Joshi, resigned after aseries of accidents involving ships of the Indian Navy. Adm Sinha was passed over as theMinistry of Defence felt that some of the blame for the mishaps should be attributed to him. After being passed over, Adm Sinha requested voluntary retirement.^{[citation needed]}

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