Who is Admiral Hari Kumar India's New Chief of Naval Staff

India's New Chief of Naval Staff: On November 30th, Admiral R Hari Kumar took over as the new chief of the Indian Navy, following the retirement of former Naval Chief Admiral Karambir Singh.

Admiral Singh retired after a 30-month career at the helm of the Indian Navy.

Admiral Kumar, the Chief of Naval Staff, remarked on the occasion, "It is a matter of great honour for me to take charge as the Chief of Naval Staff. Indian Navy focus would be on national security and maritime challenges. I will put my energy focused on it. My predecessors have guided the navy and I will also try to build upon their accomplishments and achievements."

Admiral R Hari Kumar: Here's Everything You Need to Know

Admiral R Hari Kumar was born on April 12, 1962, and commissioned into the Indian Navy's Executive Branch on January 1, 1983.

He is the first Malayali to become Chief of Naval Staff, hailing from Neyyoor, Nagarcoil in the Kanyakumari region of Tamil Nadu.

He's been in the military for 39 years and has held a range of command, staff, and instructional positions.

Admiral Kumar's maritime command includes all three ships: the INS Nishank, the missile corvette INS Kora, and the guided-missile destroyer INS Ranvir.

He also commanded the INS Viraat, the Indian Navy's aircraft carrier.

The Admiral also served as the Western Fleet's Fleet Operations Officer.

He was the Chief of the Integrated Staff Committee of Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff, before becoming FOC-in-C of Western Naval Command.

Admiral Kumar attended the Naval War College in the United States, the Army War College in Mhow, and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom.

To his surprise, Admiral R Hari Kumar had no desire to join the military. In an interview with ONmaronama, he stated, "During my school years, I did not harbour any ambitions to join the military. My goal was to get into either an IIT or an engineering college in Thiruvananthapuram. Life, on the other hand, had other plans for me."

His maternal uncle, cousin, and buddy, he claims, were the ones who inspired him to join the police, and the rest, as they say, is history.

President Ram Nath Kovind recently presented him with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in honour of his "peace-time service of the most exceptional order," throughout a 38-year career.

Many people are unaware that when he expressed his intention to join the military, his mother was hesitant because she was concerned that he would wind up consuming too much alcohol.

According to the reports, he promised not to drink at all and he has kept his word.