On 18th May 2020, The National Hydrographer to the Government of India, Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar is honored with the 2019 Alexander Dalrymple Award. The award was first presented in 2006 by the UK Ministry of Defence sponsored UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) named after the first Hydrographer of the Admiralty, Alexander Dalrymple.
Key Points:
i.The recipients are selected by the Executive Committee of the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) from all over the world for their efforts in raising the standards of the hydrography, cartography and navigation.
ii.Vinay Badhwar was honoured for his contribution to the Indian hydrography and across the wider Indian Ocean region.
iii.He helped in unlocking the economic potential of marine geospatial data and hydrographic science in India and the wider Indian Ocean region.
iv.He has extensive hydrographic surveying experience having joined the Indian Navy in 1982. His work in the Gulf of Kutch and Khambhat and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are recognised as some of the most challenging environments in the world to perform surveys.
v.He has been the pivotal member of the International Hydrographic Organisations(IHO’s) Capacity Building Sub-Committee since its creation.
vi.He leads the regional Capacity Building programmes of Indian Naval Hydrographic Office(INHO) where he coordinates efforts to help the Indian Ocean coastal states in developing their hydrographic and cartographic capabilities to unlock their blue economies.
vii.He mentioned that the support and efforts of the officers of National Hydrographic Departments in achieving the goals set by the United Nations and IHO
In 2019, He received the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal for “distinguished service of an exceptional order during peacetime”
About IHO:
Secretary-General- Dr. Mathias Jonas (Germany)
Director- Abri Kampfer (South Africa) & Mustafa Iptes (Turkey)
Established- 1921
Secretariat- Monaco
About UKHO:
Non-Executive Chair- Adam Singer
Chief Executive- Tim Lowe CBE
Deputy Chief Executive- RAdm Peter Sparkes (National Hydrographer)
Headquarters- Taunton, Somerset, United Kingdom
