Adm R Hari Kumar CNS presented the maiden ‘NIB’ (Navy’s Intellectual Beacon) to Cdr M Arun Chakravarthy during a brief Presentation Ceremony at his chamber on 25 Oct 2023. Cdr M Arun Chakravarthy is the winner of IndianNavy’s Sardar KM Panikkar ‘NIB’ essay competition which has been introduced to promote reading, writing and thinking skills amongst the Naval community. V Adm K Swaminathan COP and Cmde G Rambabu, Commodore (Naval Education) were also present on this occasion. The award has been introduced in the memory of Sardar KM Panikkar, a maritime strategic thinker who brought back maritime awakening/ consciousness in India regarding importance of oceans and maritime matters. All officers below the rank of Captain (Col equivalent) are eligible to participate in competition. A unique badge (NIB) has been introduced for the winner to wear on his/ her uniform for one year duration. In addition, attractive cash prizes have also been introduced by Indian Navy to motivate officers towards reading, writing and research activities.
