Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 30 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday congratulated R Hari Kumar, the newly appointed Chief of the Naval Staff and wished him a glorious tenure."Hearty congratulations to Vice Admiral R. Hari Kumar who has become the first Malayali to be appointed as the Chief of the Naval Staff. Wish him a glorious tenure at the helm of the @indiannavy," the CM tweeted.Admiral Kumar, a Malayali, took charge as the new chief of the Indian Navy after incumbent Admiral Karambir Singh retired from service.He was serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command before taking the reins of the force.Born on April 12, 1962, Admiral Kumar was commissioned on January 1, 1983, into the executive branch of the Indian Navy.During his long and distinguished service spanning nearly 39 years, the Admiral has served in a variety of command, staff and instructional appointments. PTI LGK ROH ROH