List of Indian Navy Admirals 1947-2023 – Chief of Indian Navy

List of Indian Navy Admirals | Chief of Indian Navy

The highest-ranking naval officer in the Indian Armed Forces is the Chief of Naval Staff of India. This position is responsible for leading the Indian Navy unless the Chief of Defence Staff is a navy officer. Since 1966, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) has always held the rank of full Admiral. The current Chief of the Indian Navy is Admiral R Hari Singh, who took over from Admiral Karambir Singh on November 30, 2021. Admiral R Hari Singh has served in the Indian Navy for four decades.

Knowing about Indian Navy Admirals is important for competitive exams. Questions about this topic can be found in the general awareness section of various government exams such as SSC, RRB, Bank, and Defence. Additionally, it is likely that the UPSC prelims will have one or two questions related to the Chief of the Indian Navy. This article will provide a list of Indian Navy Admirals who have held the position of Chief of Indian Navy Staff from 1947 to 2023.

List of Indian Navy Admirals – Static Gk

The Chief of the Naval Staff is the commander and the highest-ranking officer in the Indian Navy. The position is abbreviated CNS in Indian Navy cables and communication and is usually held by a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral.

List Of Indian Navy Admirals – Chief Of Navy Staff
Names of CNS	Tenure of Office
Rear Admiral J.T.S. Hall	August 15, 1947, to August 14 1948
Admiral Sir Edward Parry	August 15, 1948, to October 13 1951
Admiral Sir Mark Pizey	October 14, 1951, to 21 July 1955
Vice-Admiral Sir Stephen Carlill	22 July 1955 to April 21 1958
Vice-Admiral R.D. Katari	April 22, 1958, to June 4 1962
Vice Admiral B.S. Soman	June 05, 1962, to March 3 1966
Admiral A.K. Chatterjee	March  04, 1966, to February 27 1970
Admiral S.M. Nanda	February 28, 1970, to February 28 1973
Admiral S.N. Kohli	March 01, 1973, to February 28 1976
Admiral J.L. Cursetji	March 01, 1976, to February 28 1979
Admiral R.L. Pereira	March 01, 1979, to February 28 1982
Admiral O.S. Dawson	March 01, 1982, to November 30 1984
Admiral R.H. Tahiliani	December  01, 1984, to November 30 1987
Admiral J.G. Nadkarni	December  01, 1987, to November 30 1990
Admiral Ramdas	December 01, 1990, to September 30 1993
Admiral V.S. Shekhawat	October  01, 1993, to September 30 1996
Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat	October  01, 1996, to December 30 1998
Admiral Sushil Kumar	December 31, 1998, to December 29 2001
Admiral Madhvendra Singh	December 29, 2001, to July 31 2004
Admiral Arun Prakash	August  01, 2004, to October 30 2006
Admiral Suresh Mehta	October 30, 2006, to  August 31 2009
Admiral Nirmal Verma	August  31, 2009, to August 31 August 2012
Admiral Devender Kumar Joshi	August  31, 2012, to February 26 2014
Vice Admiral RK Dhowan	February 26, 2014, to May 31 2016
Admiral Sunil Lanba	May 31, 2016, to May 31 2019
Admiral Karambir Singh	May 31, 2019, to November 30th, 2021
Admiral Hari Singh	November 30th, 2021 to Present

About Navy Admirals

Admiral is the highest rank in the Indian Navy. It’s a four-star naval flag officer rank. It’s higher than vice admiral (three stars) and lower than admiral of the fleet (five stars), which has never been given.

An admiral can be called a full admiral or four-star admiral to show that they have a higher rank than vice admirals and rear admirals.

Since 1968, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) has held the rank of admiral. If the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) is a serving Indian Navy flag officer, they can also hold this rank. Admiral Adhar Kumar Chatterji was the first Indian officer to become a full admiral. The current Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) and the only full admiral in the Indian Armed Forces is Admiral R. Hari Kumar.

Important facts related to Indian Navy Admirals

• At Independence, the head of the Navy was designated the Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Navy. 
• The title of “Chief of the Naval Staff” was added on 1st March 1948, “Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Navy“.
• When India became a republic on 26th January 1950, the “Royal” designation was dropped. Thus designating the Indian Navy head to “Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy“.
• The Commanders-In-Chief (Change in Designation) Act, 1955 re-designated the Indian Navy Head to “Chief of Naval Staff”.
• The position CNS is headed by both three-star rank Vice Admiral and two-star rank Rear Admiral. However, since 1966, the Chief of Naval Staff has always been a full Admiral.
• Appointments of CNS to the office are made by ACC – the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. 
• The CNS generally reaches superannuation upon completion of 3 years service or at the age of 62, whichever is earlier.

Chief of Indian Navy Admirals – Sample Questions for General Awareness

Understanding the relevance of Indian Navy Admirals for competitive exams is important for better preparation for which candidates must be well versed with the types of questions asked in the examination based on it. 

Hence, given below are sample question based on Indian Navy Admirals asked in the general awareness section of competitive exams:

Q.1. Who is the Chief of Indian Navy 2021?

1. R D Katari
2. Karambir Singh
3. Sunil Lamba
4. S N Kohli

Answer (2) Karambir Singh

Q.2. Which of the following is the Vice-Admiral of the Indian Navy?

1. R J Dhowan
2. Ramdas
3. Suresh Mehta
4. G Ashok Kumar

Answer (4) G Ashok Kumar

Q.3. Who was the first Navy Chief of India?

1. S N Kohli
2. R J Dhowan
3. R D Katari
4. Suresh Mehta

Answer (3) R D Katari

Q.4. Who was the first Commander-In-Chief of the Royal Indian Navy?

1. J S T Hall
2. Mark Pizey
3. Edward Parry
4. Stephen Carlile

Answer (1) J S T Hall

Q.5. When was the first Navy Chief of Independent India appointed?

1. 1950 
2. 1955
3. 1958
4. 1952

Answer (3) 1958

FAQs on Indian Navy Admirals