Lieutenant Commander Sarang Joshi was today awarded the prestigious Admiral GM Hiranandani Memorial Rolling Trophy by Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command.
The trophy was instituted in the memory of the late Vice Admiral GM Hiranandani by the Hiranandani family in 2013, and is awarded for the best performance during the year long Naval Warfare Specialisation Courses conducted by the Southern Naval Command.
At a solemn ceremony, in the Naval base, here, Lieutenant Commander Suraj Aiyappa, Lieutenant Commander Aditya Sheoran and Lieutenant Commander N Syam Prasad won book prizes as runners-up.
Speaking on the occasion, Admiral Lanba emphasised that the specialist Officers armed with theoretical knowledge would now have to hone their professional skills on board fleet ships even as they mentor subordinate Officers.
He also complimented the Hiranandani family for their abiding interest in the Navy.
Susheel Hiranandani,spouse of the late Vice Admiral GM Hiranandani, graced the ceremony. Rear Admiral RB Pandit, Chief of Staff of Southern Naval Command, Dr Manick Hiranandani, son of the late Admiral and other invitees also attended the function, THE Navy said in a release here.
Vice Admiral GM Hiranandani retired as the Vice Chief of the Navy in 1989. He was the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet during 1971 war, when the Indian Navy 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.
Thereafter, as the official historian of the Indian Navy, he chronicled the history of Indian Navy in a triology - Transition to Triumph, Transition to Eminence and Transition to Guardianship, the last of which was completed just a few hours before his death in September 2009.
His final years were spent at Malakkara near Chengannur in Kerala with his son Dr Manick Hiranandani.
