The Chief Hydrographer to the Government of India is a senior appointment in the Indian Navy. The Chief Hydrographer is the executive head of the National Hydrographic Office. The appointment is held by a Three star officer in the rank of Vice Admiral. The current Chief Hydrographer, Vice Admiral Lochan Singh Pathania, took over on 1 February 2024.
History The Marine Survey of India (MSI) was established in 1874 at Kolkata and was responsible for hydrographic surveys. It was headed by the Surveyor-in-Charge, who functioned under the Surveyor General of India. After the partition of India, the only survey vessel HMIS Investigator was allotted to the MSI. On 1 Jun 1954, MSI was relocated to Dehradun, its present location, and was renamed Naval Hydrographic Office. The appointment of Surveyor-in-Charge Marine Survey of India was re-designated Chief Hydrographer of the Navy. Captain SJ Hennessy took over as the first Chief Hydrographer.
The following year, on 26 November 1955, Captain Jal Cursetji, the senior most Indian officer in the Hydrographic Survey branch was appointed the first Chief Hydrographer. In 1964, with the increase in the responsibilities of the appointment, the Chief Hydrographer was re-designated as the Chief Hydrographer to the Government of India.
Rear Admiral F. L. Fraser was the first Chief Hydrographer to be promoted to Flag rank, in 1977. Rear Admiral K. R. Srinivasan had the longest tenure, almost 10 years. Vice Admiral B. R. Rao was the first Chief Hydrographer to be promoted to three-star rank.
Current organisation The Chief Hydrographer is assisted by the Joint Chief Hydrographer, a two-star officer of the rank of Rear Admiral. The units under the Chief Hydrographer are: National Hydrographic Office, Dehradun Directorate of Hydrography, Naval Headquarters National Institute of Hydrography, Goa Survey vessels at Chennai, Karwar, Kochi and Visakhapatnam Survey Units at Karwar, Kochi, Mumbai, Sri Vijayapuram and Visakhapatnam Charts Depots at Mumbai and Visakhapatnam
Chief Hydrographers S.No. Name Assumed office Left office Notes1Captain S. J. Hennessy 15 August 195425 November 19552Captain Jal Cursetji 26 November 195527 October 1957Later Chief of the Naval Staff.3Captain I. K. Puri 27 October 195728 May 19614Captain J. S. Mehra 29 May 19614 June 19625Captain S. Rajendra5 June 19623 January 19666Commodore D. C. Kapoor 4 January 196630 July 1972First Asian to serve as Director of International Hydrographic Organization.7Rear Admiral F. L. Fraser 31 July 197231 May 1982First Chief Hydrographer to be promoted to Flag rank. 8Rear Admiral A. G. Moraes 1 June 198229 December 19869Rear Admiral V. K. Singh 30 December 198631 May 199110Rear Admiral P. P. Nandi 1 June 19918 June 1994Died in harness.11Rear Admiral K. R. Srinivasan 30 August 199430 June 2004Longest tenure as Chief Hydrographer.11Vice Admiral B. R. Rao 1 July 200430 September 2011First Chief Hydrographer to be promoted to Vice Admiral.12Vice Admiral S. K. Jha 1 October 201131 December 201513Vice Admiral Vinay Bhadwar 1 January 201630 September 202114Vice Admiral Adhir Arora 1 October 202131 January 202415Vice Admiral Lochan Singh Pathania 1 February 202430 June 2026 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1489656959870922&set=a.358954402941189
See also Survey of India
References
Notes
Bibliography