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List Of Chief Of Army Staff, Complete List Of Chiefs Of Army Staff From 1947 To 2024

The article tells about the historical journey of Indian Army Chiefs, highlighting their service and distinctive unit affiliations. Check Complete List of Chief of Army Staff below.
authorImageNigam Sharma17 Feb, 2024
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List of Chief of Army Staff

List of Chief of Army Staff: The Chief of the Indian Army Staff serves as the highest-ranking officer within the Indian Army and holds a prestigious position of leadership. The role has been occupied by several distinguished officers over the years, forming a long and esteemed list of Indian Chiefs of Army Staff. This appointment is reserved for officers who hold the four-star rank. In this article, we will go through the complete list of chiefs of Army staff.

Chief of Army Staff of India

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) in India is the highest-ranking military officer in the Indian Army. Appointed by the President of India, the COAS is responsible for overseeing the entire army and providing strategic direction. It's important to note that the Chief of Army Staff cannot concurrently serve as the Chief and Vice Chief of Defence, and while they are the highest-ranking officer in the Army, the ultimate designation in the military hierarchy is that of a Field Marshal. The President of India typically appoints the Chief of Army Staff, and their term lasts three years or until they reach the age of 62.

Responsibilities of Chief of Army Staff include guiding the Army staff and presiding over various Army Staff meetings. Chief of Army Staff was established in 1955, replacing the title of Commander-in-Chief through the Change in Designation Act passed by the Indian Parliament. This article provides you a comprehensive list of Indian Chiefs of Army Staff, including their dates of assuming and leaving office, along with other related information. Stay tuned for a detailed account of this distinguished role.

List of Chief of Army Staff

The "List of Chiefs of Army Staff" is like a big history book that tells us about all the top rank officers who have led the Indian Army. It shows who these leaders were, how long they were in charge, and which unit they were the part of. This list covers the time from when this important position came into picture until today, telling us about all the different leaders who have guided the Indian Army.

Each of these leaders had their own way of doing things and made important contributions to make the army strong and keep the country safe. It's like a special record of these important people and what they achieved during their time as the head of the Indian Army.

Name Date of Assuming office Date of Retirement Serving Duration Unit of Commission
General Sir Robert Mcgregor Macdonald Lockhart, KCB, CIE, MC 15-Aug-47 31-Dec-47 108 days 51st Sikhs
General Sir Francis Robert Roy Bucher, KBE, CB, MC 1-Jan-48 15-Jan-49 208 days 4th Cameronians
General Kodandera Madappa Cariappa, OBE 15-Jan-49 14-Jan-53 3 years, 365 days Rajput Regiment
General Maharaj Shri Rajendrasinhji Jadeja, DSO 14-Jan-53 1-Apr-55 2 years, 77 days 2nd Lancers (Gardner’s Horse)
General Satyawant Mallana Srinagesh 15-May-55 7-May-57 1 year, 357 days 19th Hyderabad Regiment
General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya, DSO 8-May-57 7-May-61 4 years, 0 days 19th Hyderabad Regiment
General Pran Nath Thapar 8-May-61 19-Nov-62 1 year, 195 days 1st Punjab Regiment
General Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri, OBE 20-Nov-62 7-Jun-66 3 years, 199 days 16th Light Cavalry
General Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam, DSO, MBE 8-Jun-66 7-Jun-69 2 years, 364 days Regiment of Artillery
Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, MC 8-Jun-69 15-Jan-73 3 years, 221 days 12th Frontier Force Regiment
General Gopal Gurunath Bewoor, PVSM 16-Jan-73 31-May-75 2 years, 135 days Dogra Regiment
General Tapishwar Narain Raina, MVC 1-Jun-75 31-May-78 2 years, 364 days Kumaon Regiment
General Om Prakash Malhotra, PVSM 1-Jun-78 31-May-81 2 years, 364 days Regiment of Artillery
General Kotikalapudi Venkata Krishna Rao, PVSM 1-Jun-81 31-Jul-83 1 year, 364 days Mahar Regiment
General Arunkumar Shridhar Vaidya, PVSM, MVC, AVSM 1-Aug-83 31-Jan-86 2 years, 244 days 9th Deccan Horse
General Krishnaswamy Sundarji, PVSM 1-Feb-86 31-May-88 2 years, 120 days Mahar Regiment
General Vishwa Nath Sharma, PVSM, AVSM, ADC 1-Jun-88 30-Jun-90 2 years, 29 days 16th Light Cavalry
General Sunith Francis Rodrigues, PVSM, VSM 1-Jul-90 30-Jun-93 2 years, 364 days Regiment of Artillery
General Bipin Chandra Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, ADC 1-Jul-93 19-Nov-94 1 year, 141 days 64th Cavalry
General Shankar Roy Chowdhary, PVSM, ADC 20-Nov-94 30-Sep-97 2 years, 314 days 20th Lancers
General Ved Prakash Malik, PVSM, AVSM 1-Oct-97 30-Sep-00 2 years, 365 days Sikh Light Infantry
General Sundararajan Padmanabhan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM 1-Oct-00 31-Dec-02 2 years, 91 days Regiment of Artillery
General Nirmal Chander Vij PVSM, UYSM, AVSM 1-Jan-03 31-Jan-05 2 years, 30 days Dogra Regiment
General Joginder Jaswant Singh, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC 1-Feb-05 30-Sep-07 2 years, 241 days Maratha Light Infantry
General Deepak Kapoor, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC 1-Oct-07 31-Mar-10 2 years, 181 days Regiment of Artillery
General Vijay Kumar Singh, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC 1-Apr-10 31-May-12 2 years, 60 days Rajput Regiment
General Bikram Singh PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC 1-Jun-12 31-Jul-14 2 years, 60 days Sikh Light Infantry
General Dalbir Singh Suhag, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC 1-Aug-14 31-Dec-16 2 years, 152 days 5 Gorkha Rifles
General Bipin Rawat, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, ADC 31-Dec-16 31-Dec-19 3 years, 0 days 11 Gorkha Rifles
General Manoj Mukund Naravane, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC 31-Dec-19 30-Apr-22 2 years, 120 days. Sikh Light
General Manoj Pande, PVSM AVSM VSM ADC 30-Apr-22 Incumbent To be continued Corps of Engineers

Chief of Army Staff 2024

Gen_Manoj_Pandey - CAS

General Manoj Pande is the current chief of Army Staff , born on May 6, 1962, holds the prestigious position of the 29th and current Chief of the Army Staff in the Indian Army. Prior to his role as the Chief, he held significant positions including Vice Chief of the Army Staff, General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command, and Commander-in-Chief (CINCAN) of the Andaman and Nicobar Command. Interestingly, he is the first officer from the Corps of Engineers and also the first from a non-infantry/armored corps to take the role of Army Chief.

Upon assuming the position of Chief of the Army Staff, General Pande was appointed as the Honorary Colonel of the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment on May 11, 2022, and as the Colonel of the Regiment of the 61st Cavalry on May 17, 2022. His appointment as the Colonel of the Regiment of the 61st Cavalry marked his distinction as the 23rd Chief of Army Staff to take on the colonelcy of a mounted Cavalry Regiment.

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List of Chief of Army Staff FAQs

Q1. Who is the Chief of Army Staff?

Ans. The Chief of Army Staff is the highest-ranking officer within the Indian Army, responsible for leading and overseeing the armed forces.

Q2. How is the Chief of Army Staff selected?

Ans. The Chief of Army Staff is appointed by the President of India. The term usually lasts for three years or until the officer reaches the age of 62.

Q3. What distinguishes General Manoj Pande as Chief of Army Staff?

Ans. General Manoj Pande is the 29th and current Chief of the Indian Army. Notably, he's the first from the Corps of Engineers and a non-infantry/armored corps to hold this position.

Q4. What roles does the Chief of Army Staff hold?

Ans. The Chief of Army Staff is responsible for guiding the armed forces, leading strategic decision-making, and presiding over significant military matters.

Q5. Who is the longest serving Chief of Army Staff?

Ans. General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya held the record for being the longest-serving Chief of the Army Staff in the Indian Army. He served in this position for a tenure of 4 years, from 1957 to 1961.
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