Sunith Francis Rodrigues

General Sunith Francis Rodrigues PVSM, VSM
26th Governor of Punjab and 13th Administrator of Chandigarh
In office 16 November 2004 – 22 January 2010
Appointed by	President of India (then, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam)
Chief Minister	Parkash Singh Badal
Preceded by	Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai (Additional Charge) Om Prakash Verma
Succeeded by	Shivraj Patil
32nd Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
In office 1 August 1991 – 30 June 1993
President	R. Venkataraman Shankar Dayal Sharma
Prime Minister	P. V. Narasimha Rao
Preceded by	Surinder Mehra
Succeeded by	Laxminarayan Ramdas
15th Chief of the Army Staff (India)
In office 1 July 1990 – 30 June 1993
President	R. Venkataraman Shankar Dayal Sharma
Prime Minister	V. P. Singh Chandra Shekhar P. V. Narasimha Rao
Preceded by	Vishwa Nath Sharma
Succeeded by	Bipin Chandra Joshi
Personal details
Born	(1933-09-19)19 September 1933 Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British Raj (now Mumbai, Maharashtra, India)
Died	4 March 2022(2022-03-04) (aged 88) Panaji, Goa, India
Military service
Allegiance	India
Branch/service	Indian Army
Years of service	1952–1993
Rank	General
Unit	Regiment of Artillery
Commands	Western Army Central Army Director General Military Training (DGMT)
Battles/wars	Sino-Indian War of 1962 Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Service number	IC-6119
Awards	Param Vishisht Seva Medal Vishisht Seva Medal
Later work(s)	National Security Advisory Board Director of International Centre, Goa

General Sunith Francis Rodrigues, PVSM, VSM (19 September 1933 – 4 March 2022) was an Indian army officer who was Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1990 to 1993 and Governor of Punjab from 2004 to 2010.

Early life and education

Rodrigues was born in Bombay in 1933. He was educated at St. Xavier's High School, Fort in Bombay.

Military service

Rodrigues joined the Joint Services Wing of the Indian Military Academy in 1949 and was commissioned on 28 December 1952 into the Regiment of Artillery. After serving in several field and self-propelled artillery units he applied for pilot training in the Air Observation Post of the Artillery in 1964 and qualified as an artillery aviation pilot. Between 1964 and 1969, he logged more than 158 flying hours on observation aircraft and helicopters, including 65 hours of combat flying during the 1965 war in which his unit logged on more than 56 precision artillery fire to effect on enemy formations.

He attended the Defence Services Staff College and took over as GSO II operations in XXXIII Corps HQ in 1971. In 1972, after the war with Pakistan, he was awarded the VSM for distinguished service. He later served as a GSO I operations of a division from 1973 to 1975.

As a Brigadier, he commanded a mountain infantry brigade in a high altitude sector from 1975 to 1977. Post this, Rodrigues attended the 1978 course at Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom. He was Chief Instructor at Defence Services Staff College from 1979 to November 1981.

General officer

Rodrigues was then promoted to the rank of Major General and then took over the command of a division in a high altitude area. In 1982, he was awarded the master's degree in Defence Studies. He then served as the Chief of Staff of a Corps from 1983 to September 1985 after which he took over as Director General Military Training (DGMT).

After promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General, Rodrigues took command of a corps in the Northern Sector in 1986.

He was Vice Chief of Army Staff from November 1987 to April 1989 and then General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Command from April 1989 to October 1989. He then took over Western Command from 1 November 1989 to 30 June 1990 and was the Chief of Army Staff from 1990 to 1993. He retired on 30 June 1993 after nearly 41 years of service.

Public service

After his retirement Rodrigues was Director of the International Centre, Goa for nearly six years. He served two terms on the National Security Advisory Board. Since his retirement, he has been engaged in social and literary pursuits and has also delivered talks on strategic issues. He takes a keen interest in education and empowering children to achieve their potential. He was on the Executive Council of Goa University for seven years and on the Managing Committee of the Goa Chamber of Commerce. He is also a long-standing Member of the Goa Planning Board and on the Board of Governors of the Goa Institute of Management.

Governor of Punjab

Rodrigues was appointed Governor of Punjab and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh on 8 November 2004, and he was sworn into office on 16 November 2004.

He was succeeded by Shivraj Patil on 22 January 2010.

Death

Rodrigues died at the Manipal Hospital in Dona Paula on 4 March 2022, at the age of 88.

Military awards and decorations

Param Vishisht Seva Medal		Vishisht Seva Medal
General Service Medal 1947	Samar Seva Star	Poorvi Star	Paschimi Star
Raksha Medal	Sangram Medal	Sainya Seva Medal	High Altitude Service Medal
25th Anniversary of Independence Medal	30 Years Long Service Medal	20 Years Long Service Medal	9 Years Long Service Medal

Dates of rank

Insignia	Rank	Component	Date of rank
	Second Lieutenant	Indian Army	28 December 1952
	Lieutenant	Indian Army	28 December 1954
	Captain	Indian Army	28 December 1958
	Major	Indian Army	28 December 1965
	Lieutenant-Colonel	Indian Army	17 June 1973
	Colonel	Indian Army	1975
	Brigadier	Indian Army	2 September 1976
	Major General	Indian Army	8 April 1983
	Lieutenant-General	Indian Army	20 September 1985
	General (COAS)	Indian Army	30 June 1990

References

Military offices
Preceded by Surinder Mehra	Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee 1 August 1991 - 30 June 1993	Succeeded by Laxminarayan Ramdas
Preceded by Vishwa Nath Sharma	Chief of Army Staff 1990–1993	Succeeded by Bipin Chandra Joshi
Preceded by J K Puri	Vice Chief of Army Staff 1 November 1987 - 20 April 1989	Succeeded by V K Sood
Preceded by V K Nayak	General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command 1 November 1989 - 30 June 1990	Succeeded by G S Grewal
Preceded by Sami Khan	General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Command 1 April 1989 - 30 October 1989	Succeeded by F. N. Billimoria
Government offices
Preceded by Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai	Governor of Punjab 2004–2010	Succeeded by Shivraj Patil