Former Indian Army Chief General Sundararajan Padmanabhan has passed away in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai. The Indian Army confirmed the news on Monday. He was 83.
Born on December 5, 1940, in Trivandrum, Kerala, General Padmanabhan was a distinguished alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) in Dehra Dun and the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla, Pune. He was commissioned into the Indian Army's Regiment of Artillery after graduating from the Indian Military Academy (IMA) on December 13, 1959.
Throughout his illustrious career, General Padmanabhan held numerous prestigious command, staff, and instructional positions. He commanded an Independent Light Battery from August 1975 to July 1976 and the Gazala Mountain Regiment from September 1977 to March 1980. His service also included roles as Instructor Gunnery at the School of Artillery in Deolali, Brigade Major of an infantry brigade, and Colonel General Staff of a Mountain Division, where he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM).
Affectionately known as "Paddy" within army circles, he also served as an Instructor at IMA and commanded an Independent Artillery Brigade and a Mountain Brigade. Notably, he commanded an Infantry Brigade from December 1988 to February 1991, and an Infantry Division in Punjab from March 1991 to August 1992. He later served as Chief of Staff of the 3 Corps and was the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 15 Corps in the Kashmir valley from July 1993 to February 1995. His leadership during this period was instrumental in the army's successes against militants in the region, earning him the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM).
Following his tenure as the Director General Military Intelligence (DGMI), he was appointed as the GOC of the Northern Command in Udhampur on September 1, 1996, and later served as the GOC of the Southern Command. General Padmanabhan retired on December 31, 2002, after a distinguished career spanning over 43 years.
