THE MAN BEHIND INS ARIHANT

India entered the prestigious and exclusive club of nations having nuclear submarine capability with the launch of INS ARIHANT(destroyer of enemies) on July 26,2009. This was an extremely spectacular feat by all standards. Now, India has become only the sixth nation in the world and the only country in the Indian Ocean region to have this advanced capability. It has been hailed a milestone in India’s defence preparedness and behind this historic accomplishment, the Director General of Advanced Technology vehicle ( ATV) programme, Vice Admiral ( retd) DSP Varma played a crucial role.

Vice admiral Varma is a post graduate in Radars&Communication from IIT-Delhi. He is also an alumni of the prestigious National Defence Acadamy. He field of specialization is Weapons and Electronics. He has had an outstanding carrer in the Indian Navy spanning more than 40 years, with varied experience both at sea and ashore. During his distingushied carrer with the Navy,Vice Admiral Varma has held high positions atall levels of management. Currently, he holds the senior most technical position in the Navy in the capacity of the Chief of Material and Prinicpal Staff Officer. Also, he is functioning as the technical advisor to the chief of Naval staff on all matters concerning development, induction, maintainance and upgradation of naval forces. Vice Admiral Varma has conceptulaised, guided and supported a lafge number of research programmes in the country. The institutionalisation of the Underwater Reasearch Advisory committee, signing of MoU between the IIT Delhi and Bharat Electronics Ltd, are some of his pioneering initiatives. Moreover, it is on his intiative that the Defence Minister of India has approved a high level committee to formalize the plan for establishment of a Centre for Fundamental Research in cryptography at some reputed academic institute in India.

For his distinguished services of exceptionally high order, Vice admiral Varma has been conferred honours like PARAM VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL, ATI VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL AND VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL. The people of India will always remember him in his great service to the nation.