Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 4 (IANS) Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha, the senior-most naval aviator, has taken over as the chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee (CISC).

Prior to his new assignment, Sinha was the IDS deputy chief for operations and policy planning/force deployment. Before being appointed to the IDS headquarters, the vice admiral was controller personnel services at the navy headquarters, a defence ministry release said here Monday.

Commissioned into the naval aviation fighter stream in June 1974, Sinha is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, College of Naval Warfare and the National Defence College.

With over 2,700 hours of flying on various types of aircraft, mostly from on board India’s aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Viraat on Sea Harrier planes, he has commanded two Sea Harrier Squadrons and the Goa air station.

Sinha has also commanded the Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS Ranijindan during Operation Pawan, Indian Navy ships INS Saryu, INS Shakti and guided missile destroyer INS Delhi.

He was the fleet operations officer of the Western Fleet during Operation Parakram in 2001-02 and later commanded the sword arm of the navy, the Western Fleet.

Sinha is recipient of the Ati Vishisht Sewa Medal and two Nau Sena medals for gallantry.

His appointment as the IDS chief was delayed by nearly two months, as it is rumoured that his name was not the first choice of the navy, which will hold the two-year term at the helm of IDS in 2011-12.

The navy had forwarded a three-name panel to the appointments committee of the cabinet and the government went by the seniority principle to name Sinha to the post,
over-ruling the navy’s recommendation.

Sinha’s appointment was necessitated after Vice Admiral D.K. Joshi, who had taken over as IDS chief six months ago, was posted as head of the Western Naval Comman in May.