Son of soil who made Telangana proud

Huzurabad (Karimnagar): Back in the late sixties, Bahunoothula Ramesh Kumar was the boy next door for old-timers and his coevals in Huzurabad, his native town, where he was quite often seen hitting the cricket ball a fair distance with great aplomb.

None perhaps had any idea then that one day he would oversee procuring guided missiles and torpedoes for the Indian Naval Armament as its Director General (DG), equivalent to Vice Admiral Rank, a coveted position which hitherto no Telanganite has held.

Ramesh has made the people of his hometown proud as an accomplished officer. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) promoted him to the prestigious post of D-G of Naval Armament on April 1.

Born to Jagannatha Naidu and Sakkubai on August 23, 1957, Ramesh did his schooling in Huzurabad. Later, he did his engineering in Electronics and Communication from JNTU, Hyderabad, in 1980. He then did his post-graduation in Control and Automation from IIT Kharagpur.

Belonging to the 1982 Batch of Engineering Services, he joined the Naval Armament Services on June 29, 1983. Quite early in his service, Ramesh had the opportunity to work hands-on with the Armaments missiles for which he had set up facilities at Karanjia -- a vital base of the Indian Navy. “It was a great experience and most cherishing part of my life,” he recounted, while speaking to The Hans India.

Thereafter, he was posted to the Delhi-based Integrated Headquarters (IHQ), where he looked after the technical management and procurement relating to guided weapons. Thirsty for more knowledge in his field, he had another Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) at Wellington in Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to this correspondent over phone on his last day in office, Ramesh Kumar said: “It’s all because of my family and well-wishers, especially those from my hometown, that I never knew it took sweat and tears to get there.”

Rajya Sabha member Captain V Lakshmikantha Rao, who also hails from Huzurabad region, said: “Ramesh has brought accolades not only to his hometown, but also to Telangana. His impressive career of unwavering duty and enduring public service is a beacon for youth who are dreaming to excel in their chosen field.”

Ramesh’s father, late Jagannatha Naidu, was an advocate and the longest-serving Sarpanch of Huzurabad. Ramesh, married to Jyothi, a teacher in Kendriya Vidyalaya, has a daughter and son, Uma Samhita Naidu and Jaideep Naidu, both engineers. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba hosted a get-together in Delhi on Wednesday on the eve of Ramesh’s superannuation.