Chief of the Army Staff (India)

Chief of the Army Staff of Indian Army
Chief of the Army Staff of Indian Army
	Flag of the Chief of the Army Staff
	Incumbent; General Bipin Rawat, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM; since 31 December 2016
	Indian Army
Abbreviation	COAS
Member of	Strategic Policy Group, Chief of Staff Committee (COSC)
Seat	Central Secretariat
Appointer	Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC)
Term length	3 years or at the age of 62, whichever is earlier.
Precursor	Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army
Formation	1 April 1955; 69 years ago
First holder	General Rajendrasinhji Jadeja
Succession	12th (on the Indian order of precedence)
Deputy	Vice Chief of the Army Staff
Salary	₹250,000 (US$3,100) monthly

The Chief of the Army Staff is the commander and usually the highest-ranking officer of the Indian Army. The position is abbreviated as COAS in Indian Army, and usually held by a four-star officer in the rank of General.

The current COAS is General Bipin Rawat, who took office on 31 December 2016 following the retirement of General Dalbir Singh.^[3]

Office of the Chief of the Army Staff

The office of the Chief of the Army Staff was created through The Commanders-In-Chief (Change in Designation) Act of the Indian Parliament in 1955. It replaced the erstwhile office of the Commander-in-Chief, Army.^[4] The office is based at South Block of the Central Secretariat at Raisina Hill, New Delhi.

Appointments to the office are made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). The COAS reaches superannuation upon three years in the office or at the age of 62, whichever is earlier.

Appointees

The rank of Commander-in-Chief, India was established in 1748 to designate the commander of all British and British Indian forces.

The following table chronicles the appointees to the office of the Chief of the Army Staff or its preceding positions since the independence of India.^[5]

Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army (1947–1955)

No.	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Unit of Commission	Ref.
1	Lockhart, RobGeneral Rob Lockhart KCB, CIE, MC (1893–1981) ^[a]	15 August 1947	1 October 1948	1 year, 47 days	51st Sikhs	—
2	Bucher, RoyGeneral Roy Bucher KCB, CB, MC (1895–1980) ^[a]	1 January 1948	15 January 1949	1 year, 14 days	Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)	—
3	Cariappa, KodanderaField Marshal K M Cariappa OBE (1899–1993)	16 January 1949	14 January 1953	3 years, 364 days	Rajput Regiment	—
4	Jadeja, RajendrasinhjiGeneral Rajendrasinhji Jadeja DSO (1899–1964)	14 January 1953	1 April 1955	2 years, 77 days	2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)	^[6]

Chief of the Army Staff (1955–present)

No.	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Unit of Commission
1		Jadeja, RajendrasinhjiGeneral Rajendrasinhji Jadeja DSO (1899–1964)	1 April 1955	14 May 1955	43 days	2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)
2		Shrinagesh, S.General S. M. Shrinagesh (1903–1977)	15 May 1955	7 May 1957	1 year, 357 days	19th Hyderabad Regiment
3		Thimayya, KodenderaGeneral K S Thimayya Padma Bhushan,DSO, ADC (1906–1965)	8 May 1957	7 May 1961	4 years, 0 days	19th Hyderabad Regiment
4		Thapar, PranGeneral Pran Nath Thapar (1906–1975)	8 May 1961	19 November 1962	1 year, 195 days	1st Punjab Regiment
5		Chaudhuri, Jayanto NathGeneral Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri Padma Vibhushan,OBE (1908–1983)	20 November 1962	7 June 1966	3 years, 199 days	7th Light Cavalry
6		Kumaramangalam, Paramasiva PrabhakarGeneral P P Kumaramangalam Padma Vibhushan,DSO, MBE (1913–2000)	8 June 1966	7 June 1969	2 years, 364 days	Regiment of Artillery
7		Manekshaw, SamField Marshal Sam Manekshaw Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan,MC (1914–2008)	8 June 1969	15 January 1973	3 years, 221 days	12th Frontier Force Regiment
8		Bewoor, Gopal GurunathGeneral Gopal Gurunath Bewoor PVSM (1916–1989)	16 January 1973	31 May 1975	2 years, 135 days	10th Baluch Regiment
9		Raina, Tapishwar NarainGeneral Tapishwar Narain Raina Padma Bhushan,MVC (1921–1980)	1 June 1975	31 May 1978	2 years, 364 days	Kumaon Regiment
10		Malhotra, Om PrakashGeneral Om Prakash Malhotra PVSM (1922–2015)	1 June 1978	31 May 1981	2 years, 364 days	Regiment of Artillery
11		Rao, K.General K. V. Krishna Rao PVSM (1923–2016)	1 June 1981	31 July 1983	1 year, 364 days	Mahar Regiment
12		Vaidya, Arun ShridharGeneral Arun Shridhar Vaidya Padma Vibhushan,PVSM, MVC & Bar, AVSM (1926–1986)	1 August 1983	31 January 1985	1 year, 244 days	9th Deccan Horse
13		Sundarji, KrishnaswamyGeneral Krishnaswamy Sundarji PVSM, ADC (1930–1999)	1 February 1985	31 May 1988	3 years, 120 days	Mahar Regiment
14		Sharma, Vishwa NathGeneral Vishwa Nath Sharma PVSM, AVSM, ADC (born 1930)	1 June 1988	30 June 1990	2 years, 29 days	16th Light Cavalry
15		Rodrigues, Sunith FrancisGeneral Sunith Francis Rodrigues PVSM, VSM (born 1933)	1 July 1990	30 June 1993	2 years, 364 days	Regiment of Artillery
16		Joshi, Bipin ChandraGeneral Bipin Chandra Joshi PVSM, AVSM, ADC (1935–1994)	1 July 1993	19 November 1994	1 year, 141 days	64th Cavalry
17		Roychowdhury, ShankarGeneral Shankar Roychowdhury PVSM, ADC (born 1937)	20 November 1994	30 September 1997	2 years, 314 days	20th Lancers
18	Ved Prakash Malik PVSM, AVSM, ADC	Chowdhury, Shankar RoyGeneral Ved Prakash Malik PVSM, AVSM, ADC (born 1939)	1 October 1997	30 September 2000	2 years, 365 days	Sikh Light Infantry
19		Padmanabhan, SundararajanGeneral Sundararajan Padmanabhan PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC (born 1940)	1 October 2000	31 December 2002	2 years, 91 days	Regiment of Artillery
20		Vij, Nirmal ChanderGeneral Nirmal Chander Vij PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, ADC (born 1943)	1 January 2003	31 January 2005	2 years, 30 days	Dogra Regiment
21		Vij, Nirmal ChanderGeneral Joginder Jaswant Singh PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC (born 1945)	1 February 2005	30 September 2007	2 years, 241 days	Maratha Light Infantry
22		Kapoor, DeepakGeneral Deepak Kapoor PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC (born 1948)	1 October 2007	31 March 2010	2 years, 181 days	Regiment of Artillery
23		Singh, Vijay KumarGeneral Vijay Kumar Singh PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC (born 1951)	1 April 2010	31 May 2012	2 years, 60 days	Rajput Regiment
24		Singh, BikramGeneral Bikram Singh PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC	1 June 2012	31 July 2014	2 years, 60 days	Sikh Light Infantry
25		Singh, DalbirGeneral Dalbir Singh PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC (born 1954)	1 August 2014	31 December 2016	2 years, 152 days	5 Gorkha Rifles
26		Rawat, BipinGeneral Bipin Rawat UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, ADC	31 December 2016	Incumbent	7 years, 132 days	11 Gorkha Rifles

Notes

^ ^a ^b Seconded from the British Army.

References

^ "Report of the 7th Central Pay Commission of India" (PDF). Seventh Central Pay Commission, Government of India. Retrieved 13 August 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Biswas, Shreya, ed. (29 June 2016). "7th Pay Commission cleared: What is the Pay Commission? How does it affect salaries?". India Today. Retrieved 24 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Lt Gen Bipin Rawat to be the next Army chief - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "The Commanders-In-Chief (Change in Designation) Act, 1955". VakilNo1.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Chief of the Army Staff". Indian Army. Archived from the original on 16 May 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

Sources

Khanduri, Chandra B. (2006). Thimayya: an amazing life. New Delhi: Knowledge World. p. 394. ISBN 978-81-87966-36-4. Retrieved 30 July 2010.

[British_Army-6] Seconded from the British Army.

[7_Pay_Commission_Report-1] "Report of the 7th Central Pay Commission of India" (PDF). Seventh Central Pay Commission, Government of India. Retrieved 13 August 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[:India_Today_7CPC-2] Biswas, Shreya, ed. (29 June 2016). "7th Pay Commission cleared: What is the Pay Commission? How does it affect salaries?". India Today. Retrieved 24 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[3] "Lt Gen Bipin Rawat to be the next Army chief - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[india-cincact-4] "The Commanders-In-Chief (Change in Designation) Act, 1955". VakilNo1.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[ia-coas-5] "Chief of the Army Staff". Indian Army. Archived from the original on 16 May 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[7] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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v t e Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army
Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army (1947–1948)	Sir Rob Lockhart Sir Roy Butcher
Chief of the Army Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army (1948–1955)	Sir Roy Butcher** Kodandera M. Cariappa Rajendrasinhji Jadeja
Chief of the Army Staff (1955–present)	Rajendrasinhji Jadeja S. M. Shrinagesh Kodandera Subayya Thimayya Pran Nath Thapar Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam Sam Manekshaw Gopal Gurunath Bewoor Tapishwar Narain Raina Om Prakash Malhotra K. V. Krishna Rao Arun Shridhar Vaidya Krishnaswamy Sundarji Vishwa Nath Sharma Sunith Francis Rodrigues Bipin Chandra Joshi Shankar Roychowdhury Ved Prakash Malik Sundararajan Padmanabhan Nirmal Chander Vij Joginder Jaswant Singh Deepak Kapoor Vijay Kumar Singh Bikram Singh Dalbir Singh Bipin Rawat Manoj Mukund Naravane Manoj Pande (incumbent)
(**Seconded from the British Army)