Commandant of the National Defence College

{{short description|Commandant of Indian defence college}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox official post | post = Commandant | body = the<br>[[National Defence College (India)|National Defence College]] | native_name = | flag = | flagsize = | flagborder = | flagcaption = | insignia = | insigniasize = | insigniacaption = | image = | imagesize = | alt = | incumbent = [[Air marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] Manish Kumar Gupta {{small|[[AVSM]]}} <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1115356140786571&set=a.295343042787889|title=Air Marshal Manish Kumar Gupta new Commandant of NDC|website=Ministry of Defence Facebook|access-date=1 October 2025}} </ref> | incumbentsince = | type = Military | status = Active | department = | style = | member_of = | reports_to = | residence = | seat = | nominator = | appointer = | appointer_qualified = | termlength = | termlength_qualified = | constituting_instrument = | precursor = | formation = July 1959 | first = [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] [[Kanwar Bahadur Singh]], {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|sep=,|MBE|}}}} | last = | abolished = | succession = | abbreviation = | unofficial_names = | deputy = | salary = | website = https://ndc.nic.in/ }} The '''Commandant of the National Defence College''' in India is the overall in-charge of all the functioning of the [[National Defence College (India)|National Defence College]] including academics and administration. The Commandant of the college is a [[Three-star rank]] officer from the three Services in rotation for a term of two years.

==History== In July 1959, [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] [[Kanwar Bahadur Singh]] was appointed the first Commandant of the college. By the end of the year, he formulated detailed plans including the aim and the charter of NDC as well as the scope of studies at the college. The Chiefs of Staff cleared approved them on 25 December 1959.<ref>{{cite web |title=History|url=https://ndc.nic.in/History.aspx |website=National Defence College|access-date=24 March 2019}}</ref>

==Organisation== The Commandant is supported by seven Senior Directing Staff (3 from the Indian Army and 1 each from the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Civil Service and the Foreign Service). Administration is looked after by the Secretary under the Commandant and is supported by a number of Staff Officers.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Defence College |url=https://ndc.nic.in/About/about-ndc/college-organisation |website=ndc.nic.in |access-date=28 June 2024}}</ref>

==List of Commandants== {|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" ! scope="col" style="width: 20px;" | S.No ! scope="col" style="width: 600px;" | Name ! scope="col" style="width: 200px;" | Branch ! scope="col" style="width: 150px;" | Assumed office ! scope="col" style="width: 150px;" | Left office ! scope="col" style="width: 600px;" | Notes |- |- | 1|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] [[Kanwar Bahadur Singh]] {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|sep=,|MBE|}}}}||{{army|India}}|| July 1959|| January 1964|| First Commandant of NDC<ref>{{cite web |title=Former Commandants |url=https://ndc.nic.in/FormerCommadants.aspx?MenuId=9fsPy+KlrLAnIwEsuaB4ZA== |website=National Defence College|access-date=24 March 2019}}</ref> |- | 2|| [[Vice Admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]] [[Adhar Kumar Chatterji|A K Chatterji]] ||{{navy|India}}|| January 1964 || January 1966|| Later served as the [[Chief of the Naval Staff (India)|Chief of the Naval Staff]] |- | 3|| [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] [[Ramaswamy Rajaram|R Rajaram]] {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|sep=,|DFC|}}}}||{{air force|India}} || January 1966|| December 1966|| Later served as [[Vice Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Vice Chief of the Air Staff]]. Died in harness while VCAS. |- | 4|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] M M Khanna {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|MVC}}}} ||{{army|India}}|| December 1966 ||November 1968|| |- | 5|| [[Vice Admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]] [[Sourendra Nath Kohli|S N Kohli]] {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM}}}}||{{navy|India}}|| November 1968 ||April 1971|| Served as [[Western Naval Command]]er during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] and later served as [[Chief of the Naval Staff (India)|Chief of the Naval Staff]] of the [[Indian Navy]] |- | 6|| [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] [[Hrushikesh Moolgavkar|H Moolgavkar]] {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|MVC}}}} ||{{air force|India}}|| April 1971|| April 1973|| Served as the [[Central Air Command (India)|Central Air Command]]er and [[Western Air Command (India)|Western Air Commander]] before taking over as the 9th [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of the Air Staff]] of the [[Indian Air Force]] |- | 7|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] M N Batra {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM}}}}||{{army|India}}|| April 1973||January 1975|| First ex-NDC Commandant |- | 8|| [[Vice Admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]] [[S H Sarma]] {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM}}}}||{{navy|India}}||January 1975 ||January 1977|| Served as [[Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet]] (FOCEF) during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] and later served as [[Eastern Naval Command]]er |- | 9|| [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] T N Ghadiok {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|AVSM|VrC}}}}||{{air force|India}}|| February 1977 || December 1978 || |- | 10|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] [[WAG Pinto]] {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM}}}}||{{army|India}}|| January 1979||January 1980|| Later served as the [[Central Command (India)|Central Army Commander]] |- | 11|| [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] D G Kinglee {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|AVSM}}}} ||{{air force|India}}|| September 1980 || September 1982 || Later served as the [[Central Air Command (India)|Central Air Command]]er |- | 12|| [[Vice Admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]] R V Aarte {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM}}}}||{{navy|India}}||September 1982 ||August 1984|| |- | 10|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] Himmeth Singh {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM}}}}||{{army|India}}|| September 1984||June 1986|| |- | 13|| [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] P K Puri {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|AVSM}}}}||{{air force|India}} || July 1986 || August 1988 || |- | 14|| [[Vice Admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]] S P Govil {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|AVSM}}}}||{{navy|India}}||September 1988 ||September 1990|| Later served as [[Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (India)|Vice Chief of Naval Staff]] |- | 15|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] K S Khajuria {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM}}}}||{{army|India}}|| September 1990||June 1992|| |- | 16|| [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] S Kulkarni {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|VM}}}}||{{air force|India}} || July 1992|| January 1995 || |- | 17|| [[Vice Admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]] Vinod Pasricha {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|AVSM|NM}}}}||{{navy|India}}||January 1995 ||December 1996|| Later served as [[Eastern Naval Command]]er and [[Western Naval Command]]er |- | 18|| [[Lieutenant General]] S R R Aiyengar {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|AVSM|VSM}}}}||{{army|India}}|| January 1997||April 1999|| Later served as Commandant of [[Defence Services Staff College]] |- | 19|| [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] V G Kumar {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|AVSM|VM}}}}||{{air force|India}}|| April 1999 || March 2001 || |- | 20|| [[Vice Admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]] Yashwant Prasad {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|AVSM|VSM}}}}||{{navy|India}}||April 2001 || December 2002|| Later served as [[Southern Naval Command]]er and thereafter the [[Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (India)|Vice Chief of Naval Staff]] |- | 21|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] S S Chahal {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|AVSM|VSM}}}}||{{army|India}}|| December 2002||June 2004|| |- | 22|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] Tej Pathak {{small|[[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal|AVSM]], [[Yudh Seva Medal|YSM & Bar]]}}||{{army|India}}|| July 2004||December 2004|| |- | 23|| [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] P P Raj Kumar {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|AVSM}}}} ||{{air force|India}}|| January 2005 ||December 2006 || Later served as the [[Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command]] and thereafter [[Central Air Command (India)|Central Air Command]]er |- | 24|| [[Vice Admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]] Pradeep Kaushiva {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|UYSM|VSM}}}}||{{navy|India}}||December 2006 || September 2007|| {{fact|date=November 2025}} |- | 25|| [[Vice Admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]] Sanjeev Bhasin {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|AVSM|VSM}}}}||{{navy|India}}||September 2007 || December 2008|| Later served as the [[Western Naval Command]]er |- | 26|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] Prakash Menon {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM|VSM}}}}||{{army|India}}|| January 2009 ||December 2010|| {{fact|date=November 2025}} |- | 27|| [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] P K Roy {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM|VM|VSM}}}} ||{{air force|India}}|| January 2011 ||November 2012 || Later served as [[Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command]] |- | 28|| [[Vice Admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]] [[Sunil Lanba]] {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM}}}} ||{{navy|India}}|| December 2012|| June 2014 || Later served as the [[Chief of the Naval Staff (India)|Chief of the Naval Staff]] |- | 29|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] N S Ghei {{small|[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]], [[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal|AVSM & Bar]]}}||{{army|India}}|| June 2014 || December 2016 || {{fact|date=November 2025}} |- | 30|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] [[Yenduru Venkata Krishna Mohan|Y V K Mohan]] {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|SM|VSM}}}}||{{army|India}}|| January 2017 || January 2018 || Later served as Commandant of [[Defence Services Staff College]]<ref>{{cite web |author=Press Trust of India |date=17 January 2019 |title=Lt.Gen YVK Mohan assumes charge as Commandant DSSC, Wellington |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/lt-gen-yvk-mohan-assumes-charge-as-commandant-dssc-wellington-119011701035_1.html |website=Business Standard|access-date=24 March 2019}}</ref> |- | 31|| [[Vice Admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]] Srikant {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM}}}}||{{navy|India}}|| January 2018 || 16 December 2019 ||Later died in harness of [[COVID-19]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Navy’s most senior submariner Vice Admiral Srikant dies of COVID-19 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/vice-admiral-srikant-dies-due-to-covid-19-related-complications/article33335528.ece |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |date=15 December 2020}}</ref> |- | 32|| [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] [[Diptendu Choudhury]] {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM|VM|VSM}}}}||{{air force|India}}|| 16 December 2019 || 30 October 2021 ||<ref>{{cite web|title=Air Marshal D Choudhury is the new Commandant of National Defence College|url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=195917|date=2019-12-16}}</ref> |- |33 |[[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] Manoj Kumar Mago {{small|[[Yudh Seva Medal|YSM]], [[Sena Medal|SM & Bar]]}} |{{army|India}} |31 October 2021 |31 December 2022 |<ref>{{cite web |title=Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Mago takes over as NDC Commandant |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/lt-gen-manoj-kumar-mago-takes-over-as-ndc-commandant20211201054607/ |website=ANI News |access-date=9 February 2023 |language=en}}</ref> |- |34 |[[Lieutenant general (India)|Lieutenant General]] Sukriti Singh Dahiya {{small|[[Sena Medal|SM and Bar]], [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]]}} |{{army|India}} |1 January 2023 |30 April 2024 |<ref>{{cite web |title=COMMANDANT NDC |url=https://ndc.nic.in/about/from-commandants-desk/commandant-ndc |website=ndc.nic.in |access-date=9 February 2023}}</ref> |- |35 |[[Air marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] Hardeep Bains {{small|[[AVSM]], [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]]}} |{{Air Force|India}} |1 May 2024 |30 September 2025 |<ref>{{cite web |title=Spokesperson MOD |url=https://twitter.com/SpokespersonMoD/status/1785577900764520784 |website=twitter.com |access-date=7 May 2024}}</ref> |- |36 |[[Air marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] Manish Kumar Gupta {{small|[[AVSM]]}} |{{Air Force|India}} |1 October 2025 |Included |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1115356140786571&set=a.295343042787889|title=Air Marshal Manish Kumar Gupta new Commandant of NDC|website=Ministry of Defence Facebook|access-date=1 October 2025}} </ref> |}

===List of Commandants by branches of service=== {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" !Branch !!Count |- |{{Army|India}} ||14 |- |{{Navy|India}} ||11 |- |{{Air Force|India}} ||11 |}

== See also ==

* [[Commandant of the Indian Military Academy]] * [[List of Commandants of the National Defence Academy|Commandant of the National Defence Academy]] * [[Commandant of Indian Naval Academy]]

==References== {{reflist}} {{Indian military academies and colleges}}

[[Category:Indian Army]] [[Category:Indian military appointments]]