Ram Dass Katari

Vice Admiral Ram Dass Katari was the First Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy after India's Independence.

Biography

His vision for having a strong Naval tradition of Defence led to the establishment of a fighter navy in free India. He had designed an appropriate strategy for managing national security issues. The first Indian to become the Chief of the Naval Staff, he had the proud distinction of holding many 'firsts' in his academic and professional career.

That was Ram Dass Katari, who assumed charge as the Chief of the Naval Staff, on April 22, 1958. The senior-most Indian Officer of the Navy, Katari, was born in Chingleput (near Chennai) and spent his childhood and youth in Hyderabad. After completing his school and college studies, he joined the Training Ship "Dufferin" and stood first in the entrance examination.

He had the unique triple distinction of being the first cadet to join "Dufferin", when this institution was founded in 1927, the first winner of the Viceroy's Gold Medal and the first Member representative ex-Cadets on the Governing Body of "Dufferin". When World War II broke out, he was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Indian Navy Volunteer Reserve and served actively in Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

After the war, he was commissioned into the regular cadre of the Royal Indian Navy in the rank of Lieutenant Commander and was appointed as Commander of HMIS "Cauvery", a frigate. Having specialised in anti-submarine warfare, Vice Admiral Katari was for a while instructor at the Anti-Submarine School. He also held important sea commands and was responsible for clearing the mines that had been laid near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. When India gained Independence, he became the senior-most Indian Naval officer with the rank of a Commander. He subsequently took part in the Junagadh operations.

He was promoted to the rank of Captain in December 1948, about two months before he took over as Chief of Personnel at Naval HQ in Delhi. For about a year from December 1951, Katari was the Commanding Officer of a Destroyer Squadron and Commanding Officer of INS "Rajput", the senior ship of the Squadron. He attended a course at the Imperial Defence College in the UK in 1953. After his return to India he took over as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (DCNS) early in 1954 and was invested with the rank of Commodore. In the same year, he officiated as the Commander-in Chief of the Indian Navy, and was the first Indian Officer to do so.

In March 1956 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. After handing over to his successor at Naval HQ he went abroad on a study tour, returning to India in August 1956. In October, he took over as the Flag Officer Commanding the Fleet, a post that was until then held by British officers. He was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral in April 1958 when he assumed the command of Indian Navy. During his tenure as the Chief of the Naval Staff, the Indian Navy saw a consolidation of its acquisitions, planned future growth and enhanced its training and operational effectiveness.

The operational effectiveness was amply demonstrated in the liberation of Goa from the Portuguese in December 1961. India's first aircraft-carrier, INS "Vikrant", was commissioned during his tenure. He retired as CNS in April 1962 and two years later he was appointed as India's Ambassador to Burma, where he served with distinction for over five years.

Books written

*"Sailor Remembers" by R D Katari

Other positions held

*Indian Ambassador to Burma
*Chairman of APSRTC - AP State Road Transport Corporation

ee also

*Indian Navy
*Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy

References

* [http://indiannavy.nic.in/ Official website]
* [http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/ Bharat Rakshak - Informative website]
* [http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/Galleries/main.php Images @ Bharat-rakshak.com]
* [http://www.nwc.navy.mil/press/Review/2006/spring/art3-sp06.htm India in the Indian Ocean]
* [http://www.mdlindia.com/ Mazagon Docks]
* [http://grse.nic.in Garden Reach Shipbuilders. A Govt. of India Undertaking]
* [http://cochinshipyard.com/home.htm Cochin Shipyard - Shipyard of the millennium]
* [http://www.indianjawan.com/ Indian Jawan - A Tribute to the Indian Soldier]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/navy-intro.htm Indian Navy @ Globalsecurity]
* [http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/History/2000s/Barnett.html India's 12 steps to a world class navy]
* [http://www.apsrtc.net/Events/Photo_Gallery/People.htm APSRTC]