Shekhar Sinha

Shekhar Sinha
Native name	Baluatoli,Purnea(Bihar)
Born	(1954-08-10) 10 August 1954
Allegiance	India
Service/branch	Indian Navy
Years of service	1974 - 2014
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands held	FOC Western Naval Command INS Hansa INS Saryu INS Shakti INS Delhi

Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha is a retired Indian Navy officer.

He joined the Navy in 1974 and qualified as a pilot, flying the Sea Harrier. He commanded two Sea Harrier Squadrons as well as Air Station Hansa. He has commanded the ships INS Saryu, INS Shakti and INS Delhi.^[1]

Ashore as a Flag Officer he served as Flag Officer Naval Aviation, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air), Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet as well as Controller Personnel Services before his appointment as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff.^[1]

In 2012 he was appointed FOC Western Naval Command.^[1]

In 2014, the Government accepted the "voluntary retirement" of Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha, who had put in his papers after Admiral Robin Dhowan, six months junior, superseded him to become Navy chief.^[2] The Ministry of Defence's junking of the seniority principle has sparked some concern in military circles because successive governments have almost always stuck to it in appointing service chiefs. The chain of seniority in Indian military is considered virtually sacrosanct, with supersession being exceptionally rare.

The incumbent Chief of the Navy, D K Joshi, resigned after a number of accidents involving ships of the Indian Navy. Sinha was passed over as the Defence Ministry felt that some of the blame for the mishaps should be attributed to Sinha. After being passed over Sinha requested voluntary retirement.^[3]

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