List of Indian Chief of Army Staff (1947-2023)
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is an official position in the Indian Army held by a four-star general, also known as the Army Chief informally. The chief is the professional leader of the ground forces and a significant advisor to the Ministry of Defense. He is the highest-ranking officer to serve entirely in the Indian Army. In this article, we will look into the list of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), in India.
Table of Content
- Who is a Chief of Army Staff (COAS), in India?
- List of Indian Army Chiefs Since 1947
- Who is the Present Chief of Army Staff (COAS), India?
- Office of the Chief of Army Staff
- Appointment of the Chief of Army Staff
Who is a Chief of Army Staff (COAS), in India?
The Chief of the Army Staff is the operational commander and senior-most member of the Indian Army. Every time, a full General holds the role. The Chief of the Army Staff is a military advisor to the Government of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Defense and is the highest-ranking officer in the Indian Army. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) serves as an advisor to the president and prime minister in a separate position as a member of the National Security Council. Unless the Chief of Defense Staff or Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee is an army officer, the COAS is normally the highest-ranked army officer in the Indian Armed Forces.
List of Indian Army Chiefs Since 1947
The lists the Indian Army Chiefs since 1947 are showing below in the table format:
Name |
Took Office |
Left Office |
Time in Office |
Unit of Commission |
General Sir Robert Lockhart |
15 August, 1947 |
31 December 1947 |
108 days |
51st Sikhs |
General Francis Robert Roy Bucher |
1 January 1948 |
14 January 1949 |
1 Year, 14 days |
Scottish Rifles |
Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa |
15 January 1949 |
14 January 1953 |
3 years, 365 days |
Rajput Rifles |
General Maharaj Rajendrasinhji Jadeja |
14 January 1953 |
1 April 1955 |
2 years, 77 days |
2nd Lancers (Gardner’s Horse) |
General Maharaj Rajendrasinhji Jadeja |
1 April 1955 |
14 May 1955 |
43 days |
2nd Lancers (Gardner’s Horse) |
General Satyawant Mallana Sringesh |
15 May 1955 |
7 May 1957 |
1 year, 357 days |
19th Hyderabad Regiment |
General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya |
8 May 1957 |
7 May 1961 |
4 years, 0 days |
19th Hyderabad Regiment |
General Pran Nath Thapar |
8 May 1961 |
19 November 1962 |
1 year, 195 days |
1st Punjab Regiment |
General Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri |
20 November 1962 |
7 June 1966 |
3 years, 199 days |
16th Light Cavalry |
General Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam |
8 June 1966 |
7 June 1969 |
2 years, 364 days |
Regiment of Artillery |
Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw |
8 June 1969 |
15 January 1973 |
3 years, 221 days |
8 Gorkha Rifles |
General Gopal Gurunath Bewoor |
16 January 1973 |
31 May 1975 |
2 years, 135 days |
Dogra Regiment |
General Tapishwar Narain Raina |
1 June 1975 |
31 May 1978 |
2 years, 364 days |
Kumaon Regiment |
General Om Prakash Malhotra |
1 June 1978 |
31 May 1981 |
2 years, 364 days |
Regiment of Artillery |
General Kotikalapudi Venkata Krishna Rao |
1 June 1981 |
31 July 1983 |
1 year, 364 days |
Mahar Regiment |
General Arun Kumar Shridhar Vaidya |
1 August 1983 |
31 January 1986 |
2 years, 244 days |
9th Deccan House |
General Krishnaswamy Sundarji |
1 February 1986 |
31 May 1988 |
2 years, 120 days |
Mahar Regiment |
General Vishwa Nath Sharma |
1 June 1988 |
30 June 1990 |
2 years, 29 days |
16th Light Cavalry |
General Sunith Francis Rodrigues |
1 July 1990 |
30 June 1993 |
2 years, 364 days |
Regiment of Artillery |
General Bipin Chandra Joshi |
1 July 1993 |
19 November 1994 |
1 year, 141 days |
64th Cavalry |
General Shankar Roy Chowdhary |
20 November 1994 |
30 September 1997 |
2 years, 314 days |
20th Lancers |
General Ved Prakash Malik |
1 October 1997 |
30 September 2000 |
2 years, 365 days |
Sikh Light Infantry |
General Sundarajan Padmanabhan |
1 October 2000 |
31 December 2002 |
2 years, 91 days |
Regiment of Artillery |
General Nirmal Chander Vij |
1 January 2003 |
31 January 2005 |
2 years, 30 days |
Dogra Regiment |
General Joginder Jaswant Singh |
1 February 2005 |
30 September 2007 |
2 years, 241 days |
Maratha Light Infantry |
General Deepak Kapoor |
1 October 2007 |
31 March 2010 |
2 years, 181 days |
Regiment of Artillery |
General Vijay Kumar Singh |
1 April 2010 |
31 May 2012 |
2 years, 60 days |
Rajput Regiment |
General Bikram Singh |
1 June 2012 |
31 July 2014 |
2 years, 60 days |
Sikh Light Infantry |
General Dalbir Singh Suhag |
1 August 2014 |
31 December 2016 |
2 years, 152 days |
5 Gorkha Rifles |
General Bipin Rawat |
31 December 2016 |
31 December 2019 |
3 years, 0 days |
11 Gorkha Rifles |
General Manoj Mukund Naravane |
31 December 2019 |
30 April 2022 |
2 years, 120 days |
7 Sikh Light Infantry |
General Manoj Pande |
30 April 2022 |
Incumbent |
1 year, 140 days |
Corps of Engineers |
Who is the Present Chief of Army Staff (COAS), India?
Manoj Pande, who assumed the position of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) on April 30, 2022, is the present General of the Indian Army.
Office of the Chief of Army Staff
The position of Commander-in-Chief, India was created in 1748 to serve as the title of commander for the leader of all East India Company soldiers.
- The Commander-in-Chief assumed supreme command of the British Indian Army after 1857. The Commander-in-Chief served as the overall commander of British India’s military forces, including the Royal Indian Air Force and Royal Indian Navy.
- The Office of the Viceroy of India was in regular communication with the Commander-in-Chief as well.
- Following the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, the position of Commander-in-Chief was split between the Indian Army, the Pakistani Army, and the British Forces in India and Pakistan. The “Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army” title was given to the commander of the Indian Army at the time of independence.
- The post was renamed to “Chief of the Army Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army” on June 21, 1948, when the title “Chief of the Army Staff” was added.
- The Commanders-In-Chief (Change in Designation) Act of 1955 once more modified the title to “Chief of the Army Staff”.
- The office is located in New Delhi’s Raisina Hill’s South Block of the Central Secretariat.
Appointment of the Chief of Army Staff
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) is responsible for making appointments to the position of Chief of Army Staff. The COAS retires after three years in the position or at age 62, whichever comes first.
FAQs on Chief of Army Staff (COAS), India
1. Who is the chief of Army Staff India?
Answer:
General Manoj Pande is the current Chief of Army Staff and he took over the office on April 30, 2022.
2. Who is the first Chief of Army Staff?
Answer:
Kodandera Madappa Cariappa, also known by his nick name Kipper, was an Indian military officer and the first chief of staff of the Indian army after the country gained independence from Great Britain. He was born on January 28, 1899, in Shanivarsanthe, Coorg district, Mysore and died on May 15, 1993, in Bangalore.
3. Who select the Chief of Army Staff in India?
Answer:
After a thorough screening process, the Defence Minister in India appoints the Chiefs of the Army. These Chiefs’ terms of office are set at three years, and the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) must approve their appointment before they may take office.
4. Who is the vice Chief of the Army Staff?
Answer:
Lieutenant General M. V. Suchindra Kumar, who took office on March 1, 2023, is the current vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS).
5. What is the tenure of Chief of Army Staff in India?
Answer:
The Chief of Army Staff is appointed for a three-year term and has the option to retire at age 62, whichever comes first.