Admiral Sunil Lanba retires on May 31 following a three-year tenure as the Chief of Naval Staff

Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba made a farewell call on President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday, days before he leaves office.

The President is the commander-in-chief of the three services.

Admiral Lanba retires on May 31 following a three-year tenure as the Chief of Naval Staff.

The Navy took a number of major initiative under Admiral Lanba's leadership which included expanding its footprint in the Indian Ocean region and enhancing its overall combat capability.

On March 23, the government appointed Vice Admiral Karambir Singh as the next chief of naval staff.

Last month, Vice Admiral Bimal Verma petitioned the defence ministry challenging the appointment of his junior, Vice Admiral Singh, as the next Navy Chief.

However, three days back, the defence ministry rejected his plea, holding that seniority can not be the sole criteria for selection.