MSI 2008: Advisory Board

Admiral Arun Prakash, PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM, ADC Former Chief of the Naval Staff

Admiral Arun Prakash joined the National Defence Academy as a Naval Cadet at the age of 16, on being commissioned into the Indian Navy in1966, he decided to specialize in aviation, and qualified as an aircraft carrier pilot on the Sea Hawk jet fighter from the deck of INS Vikrant in 1968. As a naval pilot, he served in four air squadrons, where he flew a variety of aircraft ranging from fighters to multi-engine reconnaissance aircraft. He has commanded two Naval Air Squadrons, and the Naval Air Station INS Hansa. While in command of 300 Indian Naval Air Squadron, he supervised the conversion and operational training of the crew on the Sea Harrier fighter, popularly known as the "jump jet" in the United Kingdom in 1983, and flew the aircraft back to India. He has flown over 2500 hours on 16 types of fixed wing aircraft, as well as helicopters.

While at sea, he served on a variety of ships, and commanded the missile boat INS Chatak, the frigates INS Beas and INS Vindhyagiri, and the aircraft carrier INS Viraat. As a Rear Admiral, he served on the staff in Naval Headquarters, and then went on to command the Eastern Fleet, based in Vishakhapatnam. On promotion to Vice Admiral, he was Commandant, National Defence Academy and Chief of Personnel at Naval Headquarters. In October 2001, he was appointed the first Commander-in-Chief of the newly created Unified Andaman & Nicobar Command in Port Blair, and subsequently took over as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command in Mumbai.

After a brief spell, as the Vice Chief, he took over as the 20th Chief of the Indian Navy Staff in July 2004. Admiral Prakash is a graduate of the IAF Test Pilots School, the Defence Services Staff College and the United States Naval War College. As a young Lieutenant, he served with an IAF fighter squadron flying Hunters in Punjab, and was awarded the Vir Chakra for gallantry in air action over West Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir, during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

DT Joseph Former Union Secretary Ministry of Shipping

DT Joseph was the Director-General of Shipping, Government of India from 1999 to 2003. He succeeded in making chartering guidelines for ships in March 2000, and simplified Articles of Agreement for sailors. He also liberalised Maritime Training and Education, and threw it open for private enterprise. He also worked as Secretary (Co-ordination), Cabinet Secretariat at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and for three years, he served as Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways for the Government of India and dealt with major ports, shipping, shipbuilding, and inland water transport. As Secretary Shipping, he helped in processing the tonnage tax option to shipowners and prepared the Maritime Policy and the National Maritime Development Programme. Thereafter, he acted as adviser to the same ministry and was appointed Chairman of Pay Revision Committee for Class I and Class II officers in Major Port Trusts and Dock Labour Boards of India. He was elected President in the International Maritime Organization in February 2004 for the Plenary Conference in which marine pollution through ballast water exchange was considered, and the Convention adopted. He also pursued the concept of protection for trade from the ocean transportation intermediaries, and got a draft bill prepared on the Shipping Trade Practices Bill for the approval of Government.

Vice Admiral John C De Silva, PVSM, AVSM Former Vice Chief of the Naval Staff and Director General, Coast Guard

Vice Admiral John C De Silva joined the National Defence Academy at Khadakvasla in July 1960 and was commissioned into the Indian Navy in January, 1965. He held many important operational and staff appointments during 36 years of an illustrious career. He is a gunnery specialist from UK and had undergone Naval Warfare Course in USA during 1984-85. His afloat command assignments included command of missile vessels INS Sindhudurg and INS Vijaydurg, and Guided Missile Destroyer, INS Ranvijay. He was instrumental in setting up the Warship Workup Organisation of the Indian Navy in 1982. His prominent shore assignments included appointments as Chief Instructor of Gunnery School at Kochi, Joint Director of Combat Policy and Tactics. Among the other important assignments held by him were Director Naval Intelligence, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, Director General-Coast Guard and Vice Chief of Naval Staff.

Commander AJB Singh Ex-Indian Navy and previous organiser of Defexpo and Aero India exhibitions

Commander AJB Singh, commissioned in 1965 into the Logistics Branch of the Navy and apart from the usual appointments ashore & afloat was Staff officer to two Fleet Commanders and to the first two technical Chiefs of Material at NHQ. He was on the faculty of DSSC for over four years. Thereafter he joined Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata in 1988 and was selected for deputation to MoD. He served for three years as Director, Defence Exhibition Organisation. He was appointed Secretary of the Ootacamund Hunt throughout his tenure at DSSC. He was also the organiser of previous Defexpo and Aero India exhibitions.

Commander AJB Singh is also a free lance writer and had a humour column "Off the Cuff" with The Statesman for a considerable period of time. He recently did a firsthand assessment of the situation in National Waterway 1 for the National Maritime Foundation.

 

• DNS Leadership Summit 2008: Advisory Board