https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Rajesh_DhankharRajesh Dhankhar - Revision history2026-10-28T10:20:18ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rajesh_Dhankhar&diff=528589&oldid=prevXMXHosea83962264: put up new data v1!2025-10-07T11:22:57Z<p>put up new data v1!</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|Indian Navy Admiral}}<br />
{{Infobox military person<br />
| honorific_prefix = [[Vice admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]]<br />
| name = Rajesh Dhankhar<br />
| honorific_suffix = [[Nao Sena Medal|NM]]<br />
| native_name = <br />
| native_name_lang = <br />
| image = File:VAdm Rajesh Dhankhar.png<br />
| image_size = <br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = <br />
| birth_date = <br />
| nickname = <br />
| birth_name = <br />
| allegiance = {{IND}}<br />
| branch = {{navy|India}}<br />
| serviceyears = 1990 – present<br />
| rank = [[File:British Royal Navy (sleeves) OF-8.svg|20px]] [[File:13-Indian Navy-VADM.svg|20px]] [[Vice admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]]<br />
| servicenumber = <br />
| unit = <br />
| commands = [[Project Seabird]]<br/>[[Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet|Eastern Fleet]]<br/>{{ship|INS|Vikramaditya|R33}}<br/>{{ship|INS|Mumbai|D62}}<br/>{{ship|INS|Gharial|L23}}<br />
| battles = <br />
| battles_label = <br />
| awards = [[File:Nao_Sena_Medal_ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Nao Sena Medal]]<br />
| alma_mater = [[Indian Naval Academy]]<br />
| spouse = <!-- Add spouse if reliably sourced --><br />
| relations = <br />
| laterwork = <br />
| signature = <br />
| website = <br />
| memorials = <br />
| module = <br />
}}<br />
<br />
[[Vice admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]] '''Rajesh Dhankhar''', [[Nao Sena Medal|NM]] is a serving Flag officer in the [[Indian Navy]]. He currently serves as the [[Director General Project Seabird]]. He earlier served as the [[Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet]], Commandant of the [[Naval War College, Goa]], [[Flag Officer Sea Training (India)|Flag Officer Sea Training]] and commanded the [[aircraft carrier]] {{ship|INS|Vikramaditya|R33}} from 2019 to 2020.<br />
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==Naval career==<br />
Dhankhar was commissioned into the [[Indian Navy]] on 1 July 1990. He is a specialist in Navigation and Direction. He spent his early years onboard frontline warships as the navigating and operations officer.<ref name="TH">{{cite web |last1=Correspondent |first1=Special |title=Two Rear Admirals take charge |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/two-rear-admirals-take-charge/article34701671.ece |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |date=1 June 2021}}</ref> He has served as an instructor at the Project 15 training team in Mumbai. He attended the [[Defence Services Staff College]], [[Wellington Cantonment|Wellington]]. He also served as an instructor at the Mids Wing of the [[Officer Cadet School (Singapore)|Officer Cadet School]] in Singapore and at the Navigation and Direction School in Kochi.<ref name="IN website - Comdt NWC">{{cite web |title=Rear Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar takes Charge of Naval War College at Goa {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://indiannavy.nic.in/content/rear-admiral-rajesh-dhankhar-takes-charge-naval-war-college-goa |website=indiannavy.nic.in |access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref><br />
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Dhankar commanded the [[Magar-class amphibious warfare vessel]] {{ship|INS|Gharial|L23}}. In 2011, he attended the Higher Command Course at the [[Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force#Recruitment and training|Japan Maritime Self Defense Force Command and Staff College]] in Tokyo.<ref>{{cite web |title=New flag officers of Southern Naval Command assume charge |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2021/mar/04/new-flag-officers-of-southern-naval-command-assume-charge-2271823.html |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> He served as the [[executive officer]] and the principal warfare officer of the [[lead ship]] of [[Delhi-class destroyer|her class]] of [[guided missile destroyer]]s {{ship|INS|Delhi|D61}}.<ref>{{cite web |agency=Press Trust of India |title=Rear Admiral Antony George assumes charge as chief of staff of SNC |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/rear-admiral-antony-george-assumes-charge-as-chief-of-staff-of-snc-121030301435_1.html |website=www.business-standard.com |access-date=11 March 2023 |language=en |date=3 March 2021}}</ref><br />
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He then commanded ''Delhi's'' [[sister ship]] {{ship|INS|Mumbai|D62}}. ''Mumbai'' was deployed as part of [[Operation Raahat]] to provide protection and support to Indian ships and aircraft involved in the evacuation of Indian citizens from [[Yemen]] during the [[2015 military intervention in Yemen|Saudi-led military intervention]].<ref name=firstpost-local-clearance>{{cite news|title=Indian ship in periphery of Yemen waters, awaits local clearance|url=http://www.firstpost.com/world/indian-ship-periphery-yemen-waters-awaits-local-clearance-2181585.html|publisher=First Post|date=31 March 2015|access-date=1 April 2015}}</ref> For this operation, he was awarded the [[Nao Sena Medal]] for gallantry.<ref>{{cite web |title=Navy honours bravehearts for sterling service |url=https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/4181-navy-honours-bravehearts-sterling-service |website=The Sunday Guardian Live |date=16 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="NM Gallantry">{{cite web |title=Independence Day Gallantry Awards and other Decorations |url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=125036 |website=pib.gov.in |access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Gazette of India |url=https://ia600802.us.archive.org/30/items/in.gazette.2015.384/167053.pdf |website=egazette.nic.in |access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref> As a staff officer, he served in the Directorate of Naval Plans at Naval headquarters. In September 2019, Dhankar took over as the 5th [[commanding officer]] of the [[aircraft carrier]] {{ship|INS|Vikramaditya|R33}}. He subsequently served as the Principal Director of Personnel at NHQ, in the rank of [[Commodore (India)|Commodore]].<ref name="IN website - Comdt NWC" /><br />
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===Flag rank===<br />
Dhankar was promoted to flag rank in February 2021 and was appointed Chief Staff Officer (Training) (CSO (Trg)) at the [[Southern Naval Command]] headquarters in Kochi. After a short stint, he took over as the [[Flag Officer Sea Training (India)|Flag Officer Sea Training]] (FOST) also at Kochi. As FOST, his charter included the conduct of the operational sea training of all ships of the [[Indian Navy]] and the [[Indian Coast Guard]].<ref name="FOST - PTI">{{cite web |title=Rear Admiral Dhankhar is New Flag Officer Sea Training |url=http://archive.ptinews.com//news/12459076_Rear-Admiral-Dhankhar-is-New-Flag-Officer-Sea-Training.html |website=archive.ptinews.com |access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref> On 18 May 2022, he was appointed Commandant of the [[Naval War College, Goa]]. He took over from Rear Admiral [[Sai Venkat Raman]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1873284 |title=GOA MARITIME SYMPOSIUM- 2022 |access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref> After an eighteen month tenure, he was appointed [[Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet]]. He took over from Rear Admiral [[Gurcharan Singh (admiral)|Gurcharan Singh]] on 10 November 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=REAR ADMIRAL RAJESH DHANKHAR TAKES OVER COMMAND OF EASTERN FLEET |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1976387 |website=pib.gov.in |access-date=12 November 2023}}</ref> He was succeeded by Rear Admiral [[Susheel Menon]] on 21 August 2024.<ref name="FOCEF">{{cite web |title=Eastern Naval Command |url=https://x.com/IN_HQENC/status/1826291177584570579 |access-date=22 August 2024 |website=x.com}}</ref> On 28 August 2024, after being promoted to the rank of [[Vice admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]], he was appointed as the [[Director General Project Seabird]], which is being undertaken at [[Karwar]] Naval Base at [[INS Kadamba]]. The previous DG of the project was Vice Admiral [[Tarun Sobti]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-08-28 |title=Vice Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar takes over as DG of Project 'Seabird' |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/vice-admiral-rajesh-dhankhar-takes-over-as-dg-of-project-seabird/articleshow/112871309.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2024-08-29 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref><br />
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==Awards and decorations==<br />
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"<br />
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Nao_Sena_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=106}}<br />
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_Samanya_Seva_medal.svg|width=106}}<br />
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_Special_Service_Medal_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}<br />
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_Sainya_Seva_Medal_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}<br />
|-<br />
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_Videsh_Seva_Medal_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}<br />
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=75yearmedal.svg|width=106}}<br />
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg|width=106}}<br />
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_30_Years_Long_Service_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}<br />
|-<br />
|colspan=4|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|width=106}}<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"<br />
|-<br />
|[[Nao Sena Medal]]<br />
|[[Samanya Seva Medal]]<br />
|[[Special Service Medal (India)|Special Service Medal]]<br />
|[[Sainya Seva Medal]]<br />
|-<br />
|[[Videsh Seva Medal]]<br />
|[[75th Independence Anniversary Medal (India)|75th Independence Anniversary Medal]]<br />
|[[50th Independence Anniversary Medal]]<br />
|[[30 Years Long Service Medal]]<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|[[20 Years Long Service Medal]]<br />
|[[9 Years Long Service Medal]]<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
* [[Flag Officer Sea Training (India)|Flag Officer Sea Training]]<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{s-start}}<br />
{{s-mil}}<br />
{{s-bef|before = Puruvir Das}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[Commanding Officer]] [[INS Vikramaditya]]|years=2019 – 2020}}<br />
{{s-aft|after=[[C. R. Praveen Nair]]}}<br />
{{s-bef|before = [[Rajesh Pendharkar]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[Flag Officer Sea Training (India)|Flag Officer Sea Training]]|years=2021 – 2022}}<br />
{{s-aft|after=[[Rahul Vilas Gokhale]]}}<br />
{{s-bef|before = [[S. Venkat Raman]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[Naval War College, Goa#Commandants|Commandant Naval War College, Goa]]|years=2022 – 2023}}<br />
{{s-aft|after=[[Arjun Dev Nair]]}}<br />
{{s-bef|before = [[Gurcharan Singh (admiral)|Gurcharan Singh]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet]]|years=2023 – 2024}}<br />
{{s-aft|after=[[Susheel Menon]]}}<br />
{{s-bef|before = [[Tarun Sobti]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[Director General Project Seabird]]|years=2024 – Present}}<br />
{{s-inc}}<br />
{{s-end}}<br />
<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhankhar, Rajesh}}<br />
[[Category:Indian Navy vice admirals]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]<br />
[[Category:Defence Services Staff College alumni]]<br />
[[Category:Flag Officers Sea Training]]<br />
[[Category:Commandants of Naval War College, Goa]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Nau Sena Medal]]<br />
[[Category:Flag Officers Commanding Eastern Fleet]]<br />
[[Category:Directors General Project Seabird]]</div>XMXHosea83962264