The first ever Vice Admiral GM Hiranandani Rolling Trophy was received by Lieutenant Commander Abhishek Yadav from Smt Susheel Hiranandani, the spouse of Admiral Hiranandani on 26 April 2013 at a memorable function held at the Maritime Warfare Centre at the Naval Base Kochi.
The trophy instituted in the memory of the Late Vice Admiral GM Hiranandani by the Hiranandani family, is awarded for the best performance among all officers undergoing specialisation in various disciplines of tactics and operations in the Navy. Lieutenant Commander Abhishek Yadav was undergoing specialisation in Anti Submarine Warfare. Rear Admiral G Ashok Kumar, Chief of Staff of Southern Naval Command who spoke on the occasion, exhorted the young officers present to be inspired by the example of Admiral Hiranandani. Commodore G Prakash, Director of Maritime Warfare Centre conducted the ceremony.
Vice Admiral Gulab Mohanlal Hiranandani joined the Indian Navy in 1949, and retired as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff in 1989. The Admiral was the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet in 1971, when they conducted the daring attack on Karachi. Vice Admiral Hiranandani has also served as the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief Southern Naval Command from 1985 to 1987 and a member of Union Public Service Commission post retirement. In 1995, the Admiral commenced the important task of recording the official Indian Naval history and authored three authoritative volumes, the last of which was completed just a few hours before his death in September 2009.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, April 29, 2013; Image: Indian Navy