General Sundararajan Padmanabhan, widely regarded as one of India’s finest military leaders, passed away in Chennai on Sunday( 18 August) night. He was 83.

Born on December 5, 1940, he was commissioned in the Regiment of Artillery on December 13, 1959.

 He was the army chief during 2000-02. 

He was the army chief when India launched Operation Parakram following the December 2001 terror attack on Parliament.

It was the army’s largest mobilisation after the 1971 Indo-Pak war.