Vice Chief of the Army Staff (India)
Vice Chief of the Army Staff | |
---|---|
AVSM since 19 February 2024 | |
Indian Army | |
Status | Second in command |
Abbreviation | VCOAS |
Reports to | Chief of the Army Staff |
Seat | Army HQ, New Delhi |
Appointer | ACC |
Constituting instrument | Army Act, 1950 (Act No. 46 of 1950) |
Formation | 15 January 1965 |
First holder | P. P. Kumaramangalam |
The Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) is a statutory position in the
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 Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi who assumed the office on 19 February 2024.
History
In the British Indian Army, the Chief of the General Staff (CGS) assisted the Commander-in-Chief, India.
After the
In January 1965, the CGS post became the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, with the DCOAS becoming a PSO appointment.[1][2]
Lieutenant General P.P. Kumaramangalam took over as the first VCOAS.
Order of Precedence
The VCOAS ranks at No. 23 on the
The VCOAS is at the Apex Pay grade (Grade 17), with a monthly pay of ₹225,000 (US$3,200).[4]
Appointment
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
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 | Lieutenant General | 15 January 1965 | 7 June 1966 | Regiment of Artillery | Gen. J. N. Chaudhuri | [5][6] | |
2 | Lieutenant General | 8 June 1966 | 22 November 1970 | East Surrey Regiment | Gen. Kumaramangalam | [7] | |
Gen. Manekshaw | |||||||
3 | Lieutenant General
Har Prasad, PVSM |
23 November 1970 | 31 October 1973 | 3rd Cavalry | [8] | ||
Gen. Bewoor | |||||||
4 | Lieutenant General
Mohan Lal Thapan, PVSM |
1 November 1973 | 31 July 1974 | Jat Regiment | [9] | ||
5 | Lieutenant General | 1 August 1974 | 31 December 1975 | 12th Frontier Force | [10] | ||
Gen. Raina | |||||||
6 | Lieutenant General
A. M. Vohra, PVSM |
1 January 1976 | 19 January 1977 | 3rd Gorkha Rifles
|
[11] | ||
7 | Lieutenant General | 20 January 1977 | 31 May 1978 | Regiment of Artillery | [12] | ||
8 | Lieutenant General | 1 July 1978 | 31 January 1980 | The Grenadiers | Gen. Malhotra | [13][14] | |
9 | Lieutenant General | 1 February 1980 | 6 July 1980 | Punjab Regiment | |||
10 | Lieutenant General | 7 July 1980 | 31 December 1982 | 6th Rajputana Rifles | [15] | ||
Gen. Krishna Rao | |||||||
11 | Lieutenant General | 1 January 1983 | 1 June 1983 | Jat Regiment | [16][17][18] | ||
12 | Lieutenant General | 5 August 1983 | 31 December 1984 | 5th Gorkha Rifles (FF)
|
Gen. Vaidya | [19][20] | |
13 | Lieutenant General | 13 February 1985 | 31 January 1986 | 2 Mahar Regiment | [21][22] | ||
14 | Lieutenant General | 1 February 1986 | 31 May 1987 | Regiment of Artillery | Gen. Sundarji | ||
15 | Lieutenant General | 1 June 1987 | 31 August 1987 | Regiment of Artillery | [23] | ||
16 | Lieutenant General | 1 November 1987 | 20 April 1989 | Regiment of Artillery | [24] | ||
Gen. Sharma | |||||||
17 | Lieutenant General | 15 May 1989 | 29 February 1992 | Dogra Regiment | [25] | ||
Gen. Rodrigues | |||||||
18 | Lieutenant General
Vijai Singh, PVSM |
1 March 1992 | 30 June 1993 | 8th Light Cavalry | [26] | ||
19 | Lieutenant General | 1 July 1993 | 30 June 1995 | Regiment of Artillery | Gen. Joshi | ||
Gen. S. R. Chowdhary | |||||||
20 | Lieutenant General | 1 July 1995 | 31 July 1996 | 17th Horse (Poona Horse)
|
[27] | ||
21 | Lieutenant General | 1 August 1996 | 30 September 1997 | Sikh Light Infantry | |||
22 | Lieutenant General
Chandra Shekhar, |
1 October 1997 | 30 September 2000 | 4th Gorkha Rifles
|
Gen. Malik | [28] | |
23 | Lieutenant General | 1 October 2000 | 30 September 2001 | Maratha Light Infantry | Gen. Padmanabhan | [29][30] | |
24 | Lieutenant General | 1 October 2001 | 31 December 2002 | Dogra Regiment | [31] | ||
25 | Lieutenant General | 1 January 2003 | 31 December 2004 | Regiment of Artillery | Gen. Vij | [32][33] | |
26 | Lieutenant General | 15 January 2005 | 30 September 2005 | Central India Horse
|
[34][35] | ||
J. J. Singh
| |||||||
27 | Lieutenant General | 1 October 2005 | 31 December 2006 | Bombay Sappers
|
[36][37] | ||
28 | Lieutenant General
|
1 January 2007 | 30 September 2007 | Regiment of Artillery | [38][39] | ||
29 | Lieutenant General | 1 October 2007 | 31 December 2008 | Rajput Regiment | Gen. Kapoor | [40][41][42] | |
30 | Lieutenant General | 1 January 2008 | 30 September 2009 | Bombay Sappers
|
[43][44][45] | ||
31 | Lieutenant General | 1 October 2009 | 30 November 2010 | Parachute Regiment | [46][47][48] | ||
Gen. V. K. Singh | |||||||
32 | Lieutenant General | 6 December 2010 | 30 September 2011 | Regiment of Artillery | [49][50] | ||
33 | Lieutenant General | 1 October 2011 | 31 December 2013 | 8th Gorkha Rifles
|
[51] | ||
Gen. Bikram Singh | |||||||
34 | Lieutenant General
|
1 January 2014 | 31 July 2014 | 5th Gorkha Rifles (FF)
|
[52] | ||
35 | Lieutenant General | 1 August 2014 | 31 July 2015 | 9th Gorkha Rifles | Gen. Dalbir Singh | [53][54] | |
36 | Lieutenant General | 1 August 2015 | 31 July 2016 | Bombay Sappers
|
[55] | ||
37 | Lieutenant General
|
1 September 2016 | 31 December 2016 | 11th Gorkha Rifles
|
[56] | ||
38 | Lieutenant General | 13 January 2017 | 31 May 2018 | Garhwal Rifles | Gen. Rawat | [57] | |
39 | Lieutenant General
|
1 June 2018 | 31 August 2019 | Sikh Light Infantry | [58] | ||
40 | Lieutenant General
|
1 September 2019 | 30 December 2019 | Sikh Light Infantry | [59] | ||
41 | Lieutenant General
|
25 January 2020 | 31 January 2021 | Jat Regiment | Gen. Naravane | [60] | |
42 | Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty, PVSM AVSM SM VSM | 1 February 2021 | 31 January 2022 | Rajput Regiment | [61] | ||
43 | Lieutenant General
|
1 February 2022 | 30 April 2022 | Bombay Sappers
|
[62] | ||
44 | Lieutenant General Baggavalli Somashekar Raju, PVSM UYSM AVSM YSM | 1 May 2022 | 28 February 2023 | Jat Regiment | Pande
|
[63] | |
45 | 1 March 2023 | 18 February 2024 | Assam Regiment | ||||
46 | Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM AVSM | 19 February 2024 | Incumbent | Jammu and Kashmir RIfles | [64] |
See also
Notes
1.^ Later promoted to the post of General and the Chief of Army Staff.
References
- ^ "Changes in Senior Army Appointments" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 9 December 1958. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ "Deputy Army Chief Retires" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 18 November 1964. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ "President's Secretariat" (PDF). Office of the President of India. Rajya Sabha. 26 August 1979. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- ^ "Report of the Seventh Central Pay Commission" (PDF). 20 November 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 6 February 1965. p. 73.
- ^ "INDIAN DELEGATION TO TASHKENT" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "LT. GEN. K.S. KATOCH RETIRES" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "Singapore Defence Minister Leaves for Agra" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "COMMEMORATION OF FRIENDSHIP" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "RMY CHIEF TAKES OVER AS HONORARY COLONEL OF THE GUARDS" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "GENERAL RAINA'S SPECIAL ORDER OF THE DAY" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "LT GENERAL O.P. MALHOTRA DESIGNATED ARMY CHIEF" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "Lt-Gen Stanley Menezes". The Telegraph.
- ^ "SHRI JAGJIVAN RAM TO VISIT BULGARIA, ROMANIA AND U.K." (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "TENT PEGGING BEING INCLUDED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ASIAD EQUESTRIAN" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "Press Information Bureau". Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ^ "Lt Gen SK Sinha – Brown Pundits". www.brownpundits.com. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
- ^ Roychowdhury, Shankar (19 November 2016). "Tribute: The 'thinking man's soldier'". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
- ^ "EMINENT SHERWOODIANS". Old Sherwoodians.
- ^ "FAREWELL GUARD OF HONOUR TO LT GEN G S RAWAT, VICE CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "Indian Army: Polishing the brass". India Today.
- ^ "ANTARCTICA WINTERING TEAM MEETS DEFENCE MINISTER - EXPERIENCE RECOUNTED" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "LT GEN J K PURI VICE CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF RETIRES" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "NEW ARMY COMMANDERS AND VICE CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF ANNOUNCED" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "ARMY COMMANDERS' CONFERENCE" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "Lt-General Vijai Singh appointed new Vice-Chief of Army Staff". India Today. 31 March 1992.
- ^ "RELEASE OF COMMEMORATIVE STAMP MARKS PLATINUM JUBILEE OF HEADQUARTERS DELHI AREA" (PDF). pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News". www.tribuneindia.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2017.
- ^ Archived 2017-10-20 at the Wayback Machine[dead link]
- ^ "Welcome to Warwounded". warwounded.org. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ^ Archived 2016-08-15 at the Wayback Machine[dead link]
- ^ "Minor reshuffle likely at Army hq". The Hindu. 1 November 2002.[dead link]
- ^ "JJ Singh to take over as Army chief". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017.
- ^ "New Vice-Chief of Army Staff". The Hindu. 1 January 2005. Archived from the original on 16 February 2005.
- ^ "Press Information Bureau". Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ^ "Pattabhiraman to be Army Vice-Chief". www.tribuneindia.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2005.
- ^ "Press Information Bureau". Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ^ "Deepak Kapoor, next Vice Chief of Army Staff". www.thehindu.com.
- ^ "Press Information Bureau". Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ^ "Milan Naidu to be Vice-Chief of Army Staff". www.indianexpress.com.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Lt Gen Naidu takes over as Vice-Chief of Army Staff - Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ^ "Thamburaj takes charge as Vice-Chief of Army Staff". www.thehindu.com/.
- ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Lt Gen P C Bhardwaj to be next Army vice chief". indianexpress.com/. Archived from the original on 20 October 2017.
- ^ "Lt Gen P C Bhardwaj to take over as Army Vice Chief on Oct 1". Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Lt. Gen. Lamba takes charge as Vice-Chief of Army Staff". www.thehindu.com.
- ^ "Lt Gen Lambda takes over as Army vice chief". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 December 2010.
- ^ "Lt Gen SK Singh is new army vice chief". hindustantimes.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2017.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Press Information Bureau". Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ^ "Press Information Bureau". Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Lt Gen Bipin Rawat to take over as the VCOAS". pibarchive.nic.in.
- ^ "Lieutenant General Sarath Chand Takes over as Vice Chief of Army Staff". pib.nic.in. PIB.
- ^ "Lt Gen Devraj Anbu Assumes Charge as VCOAS". pib.nic.in. PIB.
- ^ Gurung, Shaurya Karanbir. "Naravane appointed as new Vice Chief of Indian Army, four army commanders appointed". The Economic Times. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
- ^ Negi, Manjeet Singh (24 January 2020). "Kargil fame Lt Gen YK Joshi appointed Northern Army Commander". India Today. London. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ "LT GEN CP Mohanty takes over as Vice Chief of the Army Staff". PIB. 1 February 2021.
- ^ @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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi takes charge as 46th Vice Chief of Army Staff". The Hindu. 19 February 2024.