Rear Admiral Ajit Kumar P, Chief of Staff of Southern Naval Command, will assume office as Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, on Saturday.
He has been selected for promotion to the rank of Vice-Admiral with effect from December 1, 2013.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and Sainik School Kazhakootam, Rear Admiral Ajit Kumar is a missile and gunnery specialist.
Among the professional courses he underwent is a strategy and policy course from the Naval War College, Newport, USA.
His sea tenures include commands of several frontline warships of the Navy, including stealth frigate INS Talwar and destroyers INS Mumbai and INS Mysore, culminating in the command of Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy based in Visakhapatnam. The Admiral’s important shore tenures include Assistant Chief of Personnel of the Navy as well as the Chief Staff Operations of Western Naval Command.
He has also commanded INS Dronacharya, Navy’s missile and gunnery school, in Kochi.
Ajit Kumar has been honoured with Vishisht Seva Medal.
For Sainik School Kazhakootam, which has produced eight Lieutenant Generals for the Indian Army and two Air Marshals for the Indian Air Force, Rear Admiral Ajit Kumar P would be the first three star rank alumnus from the Navy, when he gets promoted as a Vice-Admiral.
He hails from Ernakulam and is the son of K Chandrahasan and P Vimala.