# Sundararajan Padmanabhan

General Sundararajan Padmanabhan PVSM, AVSM, VSM (5 December 1940 – 18 August 2024) was a General Officer of the Indian Army. He served as the 19th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army. General Padmanabhan succeeded General V.P. Malik on 30 September 2000. He also served as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.

## Early life and education

Padmanabhan was born in a Tamil Brahmin family. He was schooled at the Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun. In 1956, Padmanabhan joined the National Defence Academy and then the Indian Military Academy, from where he graduated in 1959.

## Military career

Padmanabhan was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery on 13 December 1959.
He attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington in 1973. Post this, he commanded an Independent Light Battery from 1975 to 1976. He then commanded the Gazala Mountain Regiment from 1977 to 1980. He also served as Instructor Gunnery at the School of Artillery, Deolali and two terms as an instructor at the Indian Military Academy.
As a Brigadier, he attended the prestigious National Defence College, New Delhi. He then commanded an Infantry Brigade from December 1988 to February 1991 at Ranchi, Bihar and Punjab and was then appointed the General Officer Commanding an Infantry Division in Punjab from March 1991 to August 1992. He served as Chief of Staff, III Corps from September 1992 to June 1993. After his promotion to Lieutenant General, he took over as the General Officer Commanding XV Corps in the Kashmir valley from July 1993 to February 1995. It was during his tenure as the XV Corps Commander, that the Army made big gains over the militants in Kashmir and could even scale down its operations. He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) for his services as the XV Corps Commander.
General Padmanabhan held the appointment of Director General Military Intelligence (DGMI) after the successful culmination of which, he took over as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command at Udhampur on 1 September 1996. Before being appointed the Chief of Army Staff, he was the GOC-in-C of Southern Command.
Padmanabhan retired on 31 December 2002, after completing more than 43 years of distinguished military service. He resided in Chennai after retirement. Padmanabhan authored two books. He died in Chennai on 18 August 2024, at the age of 83.

## Books

Gen. Padmanabhan was also an author of Indian military fiction, including the 2004 novel Writing on the Wall, the plot of which involves India fighting a war simultaneously with Pakistan while improving relations with China.

## Honours and awards
### Military awards

| Param Vishisht Seva Medal | Ati Vishist Seva Medal | Ati Vishist Seva Medal | Vishisht Seva Medal |
| General Service Medal | Siachen Glacier Medal | Special Service Medal | Raksha Medal |
| Sangram Medal | Operation Vijay Medal | Sainya Seva Medal | 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal |
| 25th Anniversary of Independence Medal | 30 Years Long Service Medal | 20 Years Long Service Medal | 9 Years Long Service Medal |

## Dates of rank

| Rank | Component | Date of rank |
| Second Lieutenant | Indian Army | 13 December 1959 |
| Lieutenant | Indian Army | 13 December 1961 |
| Captain | Indian Army | 13 December 1965 |
| Major | Indian Army | 13 December 1972 |
| Lieutenant-Colonel | Indian Army | 16 August 1978 |
| Colonel | Indian Army | 8 February 1985 |
| Brigadier | Indian Army | 13 April 1986 |
| Major General | Indian Army | 16 November 1991 |
| Lieutenant-General | Indian Army | 1 November 1993 |
| General (COAS) | Indian Army | 1 October 2000 |