Vice Chief of the Army Staff (India)

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Vice Chief of the Army Staff
Flag of Indian Vice Chief of Army Staff.svg
Flag of the Vice Chief of the Army Staff
 Indian Army
StatusSecond in command
AbbreviationVCOAS
Reports toFlag COAS.svg Chief of the Army Staff
SeatArmy HQ, New Delhi
AppointerACC
Constituting instrumentArmy Act, 1950 (Act No. 46 of 1950)
Formation15 January 1965; 59 years ago (1965-01-15)
First holderP. P. Kumaramangalam

The Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) is a statutory position in the Indian Armed Forces usually held by a three star lieutenant general. As the second highest ranking officer to serve in the Indian Army, the VCOAS is the deputy professional head of the Indian Army and a senior adviser to the Minister of Defence. The office holder is usually the second most senior army officer unless the Chief of Defence is an army officer.

Eleven of the forty Vice Chiefs have gone on to head the Indian Army as the Chief of the Army Staff.

The current VCOAS is Lt. General B. S. Raju who assumed the office on 1 May 2022.[1] Lt. Gen. Raju's appointment is one of rare instances where an officer has been promoted as Vice Chief without heading any of the Army’s regional commands.[2]

History[edit]

In the British Indian Army, the Chief of the General Staff (CGS) assisted the Commander-in-Chief, India.

After the Independence, the CGS remained the number two officer in the Indian Army below the Commander-in-Chief, India. and later the Chief of Army Staff. In January 1959, the post of Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (DCOAS) was created to replace the CGS at the Army HQ. The DCOAS was the second-in-command and was equivalent to an Army Commander (GOC-in-C).

In January 1965, the CGS post became the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, with the DCOAS becoming a PSO appointment.[3][4]

Lieutenant General P.P. Kumaramangalam took over as the first VCOAS.

Order of Precedence[edit]

The VCOAS ranks at No. 23 on the Indian order of precedence, along with the Vice Chiefs of Staff of the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force and the Army Commanders (GOC-in-C), Naval Commanders (FOC-in-C) and Air Commanders (AOC-in-C).[5]

The VCOAS is at the Apex Pay grade (Grade 17), with a monthly pay of ₹225,000 (US$3,200).[6]

Appointment[edit]

The Vice Chief of Army staff is appointed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, from among the senior general officers of the Army. Since the appointment is of Commander-in-Chief grade, the appointees are usually one of the Army Commanders of the seven commands.

Unlike the Chief of Army Staff, there is no fixed term nor term limit to the position of the VCOAS, although most of those appointed to the office have typically served for two or three year tenures.

Appointees[edit]

The following table chronicles the appointees to the office of the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.

S.No. Portrait Name Assumed office Left office Unit of Commission COAS Ref
1 General Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumramangalam.jpg Lieutenant General

Paramsiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam, Lua error: expandTemplate: template "post-nominals/UK" does not exist.[1]

15 January 1965 7 June 1966 Regiment of Artillery Gen. J. N. Chaudhuri [7][8]
2 Lieutenant General

Kashmir Singh Katoch, Lua error: expandTemplate: template "post-nominals/UK" does not exist.

8 June 1966 22 November 1970 East Surrey Regiment Gen. Kumaramangalam [9]
Gen. Manekshaw
3 Lieutenant General

Har Prasad, PVSM

23 November 1970 31 October 1973 3rd Cavalry [10]
Gen. Bewoor
4 Lieutenant General

M. L. Thapan, PVSM

1 November 1973 31 July 1974 Jat Regiment [11]
5 Lieutenant General

Naveen Chand Rawlley, PVSM AVSM Lua error: expandTemplate: template "post-nominals/UK" does not exist.

1 August 1974 31 December 1975 12th Frontier Force [12]
Gen. Raina
6 Lieutenant General

A. M. Vohra, PVSM

1 January 1976 19 January 1977 3rd Gorkha Rifles [13]
7 Om-prakash-Mhalotra.jpg Lieutenant General

Om Prakash Malhotra, PVSM[2]

20 January 1977 31 May 1978 Regiment of Artillery [14]
8 Lieutenant General

Stanley Leslie Menezes, PVSM SC

1 July 1978 31 January 1980 The Grenadiers Gen. Malhotra [15][16]
9 Lieutenant General

Jaswant Singh, PVSM AVSM

1 February 1980 6 July 1980 Punjab Regiment
10 Lieutenant General

Adi Meherji Sethna, PVSM AVSM

7 July 1980 31 December 1982 6th Rajputana Rifles [17]
Gen. Krishna Rao
11 Lieutenant General

Srinivas Kumar Sinha, PVSM

1 January 1983 1 June 1983 Jat Regiment [18][19][20]
12 Lieutenant General

Gajendra Singh Rawat, PVSM AVSM

5 August 1983 31 December 1984 5th Gorkha Rifles (FF) Gen. Vaidya [21][22]
13 General Krishnaswami Sundarji.jpg Lieutenant General

Krishnaswamy Sundarji, PVSM[3]

13 February 1985 31 January 1986 2 Mahar Regiment [23][24]
14 Lieutenant General

K. K. Hazari, PVSM AVSM

1 February 1986 31 May 1987 Regiment of Artillery Gen. Sundarji
15 Lieutenant General

J. K. Puri, PVSM AVSM

1 June 1987 31 August 1987 Regiment of Artillery [25]
16 General Sunith Francis Rodrigues.jpg Lieutenant General

Sunith Francis Rodrigues, PVSM AVSM[4]

1 November 1987 20 April 1989 Regiment of Artillery [26]
Gen. Sharma
17 Lieutenant General

V. K. Sood, PVSM AVSM

15 May 1989 29 February 1992 Dogra Regiment [27]
Gen. Rodrigues
18 Lieutenant General

Vijai Singh, PVSM

1 March 1992 30 June 1993 8th Light Cavalry [28]
19 Lieutenant General

Surinder Nath, PVSM AVSM

1 July 1993 30 June 1995 Regiment of Artillery Gen. Joshi
Gen. S. R. Chowdhary
20 Lieutenant General

M. L. Dar, PVSM AVSM

1 July 1995 31 July 1996 Poona Horse [29]
21 Gen vp malik1.jpg Lieutenant General

Ved Prakash Malik, PVSM AVSM[5]

1 August 1996 30 September 1997 Sikh Light Infantry
22 Lieutenant General

Chandra Shekhar, PVSM AVSM ADC

1 October 1997 30 September 2000 4th Gorkha Rifles Gen. Malik [30]
23 Lieutenant General

Vijay Oberoi, PVSM AVSM VSM

1 October 2000 30 September 2001 Maratha Light Infantry Gen. Padmanabhan [31][32]
24 General Nirmal Chander Vij.jpg Lieutenant General

Nirmal Chand Vij, PVSM UYSM AVSM[6]

1 October 2001 31 December 2002 Dogra Regiment [33]
25 Lieutenant General

Shantonu Choudhry, PVSM AVSM VSM

1 January 2003 31 December 2004 Regiment of Artillery Gen. Vij [34][35]
26 Lieutenant General

Bhupinder Singh Thakur, PVSM AVSM

15 January 2005 30 September 2005 Central India Horse [36][37]
Gen. J. J. Singh
27 Lieutenant General

S. Pattabhiraman, PVSM AVSM SM VSM

1 October 2005 31 December 2006 Bombay Sappers [38][39]
28 General Deepak Kapoor.jpg Lieutenant General

Deepak Kapoor, PVSM AVSM SM VSM ADC[7]

1 January 2007 30 September 2007 Regiment of Artillery [40][41]
29 Lieutenant General

Milan Lalitkumar Naidu, PVSM AVSM YSM

1 October 2007 31 December 2008 Rajput Regiment Gen. Kapoor [42][43][44]
30 Lieutenant General

Noble Thamburaj, PVSM SM

1 January 2008 30 September 2009 Bombay Sappers [45][46][47]
31 The Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. P.C. Bhardwaj, paying homage, at Amar Jawan Jyoti on the occasion of Infantry Day, in New Delhi on October 27, 2010 (cropped).jpg Lieutenant General

Prabodh Chandra Bhardwaj, PVSM AVSM VrC SC VSM

1 October 2009 30 November 2010 Parachute Regiment [48][49][50]
Gen. V. K. Singh
32 Lieutenant General

Arvinder Singh Lamba, PVSM AVSM

6 December 2010 30 September 2011 Regiment of Artillery [51][52]
33 S K Singh (cropped).jpg Lieutenant General

Sri Krishna Singh PVSM UYSM AVSM

1 October 2011 31 December 2013 8th Gorkha Rifles [53]
Gen. Bikram Singh
34 General Dalbir Singh official photo.jpg Lieutenant General

Dalbir Singh Suhag, PVSM UYSM AVSM VSM ADC[8]

1 January 2014 31 July 2014 5th Gorkha Rifles (FF) [54]
35 Lt. Gen. Philip Campose.jpg Lieutenant General

Philip Campose, PVSM AVSM VSM

1 August 2014 31 July 2015 9th Gorkha Rifles Gen. Dalbir Singh [55][56]
36 M M S Rai VCAS.jpg Lieutenant General

Man Mohan Singh Rai, PVSM AVSM VSM

1 August 2015 31 July 2016 Bombay Sappers [57]
37 Bipin Rawat (CDS).jpg Lieutenant General

Bipin Rawat, PVSM UYSM AVSM YSM SM VSM ADC[9]

1 September 2016 31 December 2016 11th Gorkha Rifles [58]
38 Sarath Chand cropped.jpg Lieutenant General

Sarath Chand, PVSM UYSM AVSM VSM

13 January 2017 31 May 2018 Garhwal Rifles Gen. Rawat [59]
39 Devraj Anbu VCAS.jpg Lieutenant General

Devraj Anbu, PVSM UYSM AVSM YSM SM ADC

1 June 2018 31 August 2019 Sikh Light Infantry [60]
40 General Manoj Mukund Naravane PVSM AVSM SM VSM ADC (1).jpg Lieutenant General

Manoj Mukund Naravane, PVSM AVSM SM VSM ADC[10]

1 September 2019 30 December 2019 Sikh Light Infantry [61]
41 Lt Gen SK Saini.jpg Lieutenant General

Satinder Kumar Saini, PVSM AVSM YSM VSM ADC

25 January 2020 31 January 2021 Jat Regiment Gen. Naravane [62]
42 LT GEN CP MOHANTY, VICE CHIEF OF THE ARMY STAFF.jpg Lieutenant General

Chandi Prasad Mohanty, PVSM AVSM SM VSM

1 February 2021 31 January 2022 Rajput Regiment [63]
43 Gen Manoj Pande.jpg Lieutenant General

Manoj Pande, PVSM AVSM VSM[11]

1 February 2022 30 April 2022 Bombay Sappers [64]
44 Lt. Gen. B.S. Raju UYSM, AVSM, YSM, Vice Chief of Army Staff.jpg Lieutenant General

Baggavalli Somashekar Raju, UYSM AVSM YSM

1 May 2022 Present Jat Regiment Gen. Pande [1]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

1.^ Later promoted to the post of General and the Chief of Army Staff.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "LIEUTENANT GENERAL BAGGAVALLI SOMASHEKAR RAJU TO TAKE OVER AS VICE CHIEF OF THE ARMY STAFF ON 01 MAY 2022" (Press release). PIB. 29 April 2022.
  2. ↑ Bali, Pawan (30 April 2022). "Lt. Gen. B.S. Raju to take over as army vice-chief". The Asian Age. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  3. ↑ "Changes in Senior Army Appointments" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 9 December 1958. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  4. ↑ "Deputy Army Chief Retires" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 18 November 1964. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  5. ↑ "President's Secretariat" (PDF). Office of the President of India. Rajya Sabha. 26 August 1979. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  6. ↑ (PDF). 20 November 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151120092637/http://7cpc.india.gov.in/pdf/sevencpcreport.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 6 February 1965. p. 73.
  8. ↑ "INDIAN DELEGATION TO TASHKENT" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  9. ↑ "LT. GEN. K.S. KATOCH RETIRES" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  10. ↑ "Singapore Defence Minister Leaves for Agra" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  11. ↑ "COMMEMORATION OF FRIENDSHIP" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  12. ↑ "RMY CHIEF TAKES OVER AS HONORARY COLONEL OF THE GUARDS" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  13. ↑ "GENERAL RAINA'S SPECIAL ORDER OF THE DAY" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  14. ↑ "LT GENERAL O.P. MALHOTRA DESIGNATED ARMY CHIEF" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  15. ↑ "Lt-Gen Stanley Menezes". The Telegraph.
  16. ↑ "SHRI JAGJIVAN RAM TO VISIT BULGARIA, ROMANIA AND U.K." (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  17. ↑ "TENT PEGGING BEING INCLUDED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ASIAD EQUESTRIAN" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  18. ↑ "Press Information Bureau". Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  19. ↑ "Lt Gen SK Sinha – Brown Pundits". www.brownpundits.com. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  20. ↑ Roychowdhury, Shankar (19 November 2016). "Tribute: The 'thinking man's soldier'". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  21. ↑ "EMINENT SHERWOODIANS". Old Sherwoodians.
  22. ↑ "FAREWELL GUARD OF HONOUR TO LT GEN G S RAWAT, VICE CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  23. ↑ "Indian Army: Polishing the brass". India Today.
  24. ↑ "ANTARCTICA WINTERING TEAM MEETS DEFENCE MINISTER - EXPERIENCE RECOUNTED" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  25. ↑ "LT GEN J K PURI VICE CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF RETIRES" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  26. ↑ "NEW ARMY COMMANDERS AND VICE CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF ANNOUNCED" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  27. ↑ "ARMY COMMANDERS' CONFERENCE" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  28. ↑ "Lt-General Vijai Singh appointed new Vice-Chief of Army Staff". India Today. 31 March 1992.
  29. ↑ "RELEASE OF COMMEMORATIVE STAMP MARKS PLATINUM JUBILEE OF HEADQUARTERS DELHI AREA" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
  30. ↑ "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News". www.tribuneindia.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2017.
  31. ↑ The Hindu. 16 September 2000 http://www.thehindu.com/2000/09/16/stories/0216000i.htm. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[dead link]
  32. ↑ "Welcome to Warwounded". warwounded.org. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  33. ↑ The Hindu. 2 October 2001 http://www.thehindu.com/2001/10/02/stories/02020009.htm. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[dead link]
  34. ↑ "Minor reshuffle likely at Army hq". The Hindu. 1 November 2002.[dead link]
  35. ↑ "JJ Singh to take over as Army chief". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017.
  36. ↑ "New Vice-Chief of Army Staff". The Hindu. 1 January 2005. Archived from the original on 16 February 2005.
  37. ↑ "Press Information Bureau". Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  38. ↑ "Pattabhiraman to be Army Vice-Chief". www.tribuneindia.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2005.
  39. ↑ "Press Information Bureau". Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  40. ↑ "Deepak Kapoor, next Vice Chief of Army Staff". www.thehindu.com.
  41. ↑ "Press Information Bureau". Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  42. ↑ "Milan Naidu to be Vice-Chief of Army Staff". www.indianexpress.com.
  43. ↑ "ML Naidu named Indian Army vice chief | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". dna. 30 August 2007. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  44. ↑ "Lt Gen Naidu takes over as Vice-Chief of Army Staff - Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  45. ↑ "Thamburaj takes charge as Vice-Chief of Army Staff". www.thehindu.com/.
  46. ↑ "Lt. Gen. Thamburaj, next Army Vice-Chief". The Hindu. 19 November 2008. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  47. ↑ "Lt. Gen Noble Thamburaj takes over as Vice Chief of the Army staff". Thaindian News. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  48. ↑ "Lt Gen P C Bhardwaj to be next Army vice chief". indianexpress.com/. Archived from the original on 20 October 2017.
  49. ↑ "Lt Gen P C Bhardwaj to take over as Army Vice Chief on Oct 1". Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  50. ↑ "Lt Gen P C Bhardwaj to be next Army vice chief". The Indian Express. 1 September 2009. Archived from the original on 20 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  51. ↑ "Lt. Gen. Lamba takes charge as Vice-Chief of Army Staff". www.thehindu.com.
  52. ↑ "Lt Gen Lambda takes over as Army vice chief". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 December 2010.
  53. ↑ "Lt Gen SK Singh is new army vice chief". hindustantimes.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2017.
  54. ↑ "Lt General Bipin singh rawat Takes over as Army Vice Chief". NDTV. 5 August 2014. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  55. ↑ "Press Information Bureau". Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  56. ↑ "Press Information Bureau". Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  57. ↑ "Lt Gen M M S Rai takes over as the new vice chief of Army staff - The Economic Times". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 4 August 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  58. ↑ "Lt Gen Bipin Rawat to take over as the VCOAS". pibarchive.nic.in.
  59. ↑ "Lieutenant General Sarath Chand Takes over as Vice Chief of Army Staff". pib.nic.in. PIB.
  60. ↑ "Lt Gen Devraj Anbu Assumes Charge as VCOAS". pib.nic.in. PIB.
  61. ↑ Gurung, Shaurya Karanbir. "Naravane appointed as new Vice Chief of Indian Army, four army commanders appointed". The Economic Times. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  62. ↑ Negi, Manjeet Singh (24 January 2020). "Kargil fame Lt Gen YK Joshi appointed Northern Army Commander". India Today. London. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  63. ↑ "LT GEN CP Mohanty takes over as Vice Chief of the Army Staff". PIB. 1 February 2021.
  64. ↑ @ANI (18 January 2022). "Government of India approves the proposal for the appointment of Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Manoj Pande as the next Vice Chief of Army Staff: Sources" (Tweet) – via Twitter.


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