New Delhi, Oct. 31: The navy has got a new vice-chief and the coast guard, so long the navy’s handmaiden, has for the first time handed over responsibility for its regional commands to officers from its own cadre.

Vice-Admiral Venkat Bharathan today took over as the vice-chief of naval staff from Vice-Admiral Yashwant Prasad who has retired. Vice-Admiral Bharathan was chief of personnel at the integrated headquarters in the defence ministry.

An anti-submarine warfare expert, Vice-Admiral Bharathan has commanded a Sea King helicopter squadron, the INS Kadmat (ASW frigate) and the INS Ranvijay (guided missile destroyer). He is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Naval War College, the US, and the College of Naval Warfare. He has been the Indian naval attach? in the US.

The coast guard today got its own officers to head regional commands that were so long headed by officers on deputation from the navy. The coast guard director-general is still a rear admiral from the navy and many crucial posts in the service continue to be manned by naval officers.The regional commands of the coast guard are akin to the commands of the regular armed forces.

Inspector-general S.P.S. Basra, from the first batch of regular coast guard officers who joined service in January 1980, today took over as the regional commander of the coast guard in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Basra is a special navigation and direction officer who commanded coast guard ships.

Inspector-general A. Rajashekhar, also from the first batch of the coast guard, took over as the head of the service’s western region. Rajashekhar was earlier chief staff officer to the regional commander in the west. Inspector-general Rajendra Singh, from the second batch of coast guard officers, took over as its head in the east. Singh was director (planning) at the coast guard headquarters in Delhi.

The army today announced that Lt General A.S. Jamwal has taken over as its adjutant-general. Lt General Jamwal was chief of staff in the Nagrota (Jammu)-based 16 Corps during the Kargil war in 1999. He has also been an instructor on deputation to Iraq.