About Us

Brief History

The Navy Foundation was started by Adm JG Nadkarni, the 12th Chief of Naval Staff (1987-90), who attributed the idea to Adm R Tahiliani, his immediate predecessor in office. A short account of this in his own words can be seen here.

Accordingly, the Navy Foundation came into being in 1988. Its’ guiding principles were to be seen as an apolitical and secular organisation comprising retired officers of the Indian Navy, so as to maintain contact and fraternal relationships amongst naval veterans and with the serving establishment of the Indian Navy; as also to look after their interests and carry out charitable, social, philanthropic, cultural, educational and other activities for the benefit of the veterans’ community.

Membership was made voluntary and a nominal amount of Rs 2000 is presently charged for Life Membership. In the event of war or natural calamities, the Navy Foundation would coordinate efforts to place veterans at the disposal of the Government. 

More details on the history of the Navy Foundation and, in particular, the NFPC can be accessed here.

Organisation

There are presently 15 ‘Chapters’ of the Navy Foundation, located at Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Kolkata, Odisha (Bhubaneshwar), Visakhapatnam, Chenna, Coimbatore, Kerala (Kochi) and Bengaluru. 

The Navy Foundation is registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860. The Navy Foundation is headed by a Governing Council, headed by the Chief of Naval Staff at IHQ MoD (Navy). The Memorandum of Association of Navy Foundation was last amended in 2014 with Regional Governing Councils established at the Command Headquarters to enable better and decentralised functioning of the Foundation Chapters. There are four Regional Governing Councils placed under it viz. RGCs North, East, South and West. NFPC comes under RGC (West), which has the FOC-in-C, CSO (P&A) and Command Welfare Officer of Western Naval Command as its President, Secretary and Joint Secretary respectively. The Foundation currently has around 3700 members.

Functioning

In order to enable the Navy Foundation and its Chapters carry out their activities, each Chapter maintains its own Non-Public Fund. The main source of income for the Navy Foundation Fund is the grant given from NPF at IHQ MoD (Navy) by CNS once during his tenure, membership fees collected from new members and sponsorship generated through the corporate sector towards welfare activities undertaken by the Chapters. The Navy Foundation Non-Public Fund accounts are audited by Chartered Accountants once every year.

Patrons / Presidents

• The President of India will be the Patron-in-Chief of the Navy Foundation.
• All retired Chiefs of the Naval Staff shall be invited to be the Patrons of the Foundation.
• The Chief of the Naval Staff shall be the Ex Officio President of the Navy Foundation.
• FOC in C West shall be the Patron of the Navy Foundation Pune Chapter.

Objectives of the NFPC

The Navy Foundation Pune Chapter shall be a secular and apolitical body which shall not be affiliated directly or indirectly with any political organisation or institution.

The objectives of the Foundation as per the Memorandum of Association are:-

• To provide facilities for those who have served in and retired from the Navy to maintain contact and fraternal relationship between themselves.
• To acquire, preserve and display articles of historical and educational value concerning the Navy.
• To carry out charitable, social, philanthropic, cultural, educational and other activities for the benefit and to look after the interests generally to the beneficiaries, namely the retired fraternity and others.
• To provide assistance to the beneficiaries in matters concerning pensions, grants, gratuities, allowances, etc.
• To establish and manage alone or in cooperation with others, hostels, guest houses or such other establishments primarily for the benefit of the beneficiaries and other Naval Personnel and their dependents.
• To establish, promote and manage recreational, canteens, playgrounds, community centres, clubs, sanatorium homes or other institutions or facilities for the physical. mental and moral well-being of the beneficiaries and for the care of the aged and invalid amongst them.
• To print and publish books, periodicals, pamphlets, newspapers and any other publications and to undertake production of or assist in the production of films, scripts, dramas cultural shows etc as may be considered necessary for the promotion of the objects of the Foundation.
• To promote interest in Defence studies with particular reference to Naval developments and maritime activities.
• To create amongst the public, interest in the Navy and promote interest in maritime activities.
• To create trusts and or other similar institutions to award scholarships, stipends, loans, financial assistance for promotion of studies and research.
• To create awareness amongst the public about the problems of ex-Naval personnel and their families and to enlist co-operation from other Institutions, organisations, establishments, departments and other bodies for their resettlement or otherwise to help them in solving their problems.
• To place at the disposal of the Government, the Services of the Foundation or any or its branches, to be utilised in the event of wars, calamities, natural or otherwise, whether local or at the National level.
• To hold periodical conferences, meetings, seminars, lectures, exhibitions, film shows on matters of interest to the Navy or the ex-Naval personnel and their families.
• To do all such other things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects.
• Income of society shall be utilised for its objectives only.

Committee Members