Former Indian Army Chief General Sundararajan Padmanabhan passed away, in Chennai. This was confirmed by the Indian Army. Before being appointed as the Chief of Army Staff, he was the GOC of Southern Command. He retired on 31 December 2002, after completing more than 43 years of distinguished military service.

General Sundararajan Padmanabhan, the 20th Chief of Army Staff of India, passed away on Monday at the age of 83. A distinguished officer, Gen. Padmanabhan played a pivotal role in India's military history, especially noted for his leadership in combating militancy in Jammu and Kashmir during the early 1990s. Born on December 5, 1940, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Gen. Padmanabhan was an alumnus of the Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) in Dehradun and the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune. Before attending the prestigious National Defence College (NDC) course in Delhi, he commanded both an independent Artillery Brigade and a Mountain Brigade. One of the highlights of his career was his tenure as Commander of the 15 Corps in Kashmir from July 1993 to February 1995. His strategic leadership during this period was instrumental in making significant gains against militants and managing operations effectively. Following his service as the 15 Corps Commander, Gen. Padmanabhan was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and subsequently served as the Director General of Military Intelligence (DGMI). He also held the positions of General Officer Commanding (GOC) of both the Northern and Southern Commands before becoming the Chief of Army Staff from September 2000 to December 2002. In addition to his military achievements, Gen. Padmanabhan was a prolific writer, authoring two books. After retirement, he chose Chennai as his home. His career, which began with his commission into the Regiment of Artillery on December 13, 1959, encompassed numerous prestigious command, staff, and instructional roles, including commanding an Independent Light Battery and the Gazala Mountain Regiment.