Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (India)

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Deputy Chief of the Army Staff
Flag of Indian Lieutenant Generals, Army Headquarters.svg
Flag of a Lieutenant General
Flag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army
TypePrincipal Staff Officer
AbbreviationDCOAS
Reports to Vice Chief of the Army Staff
Seat Army Headquarters, New Delhi

The Deputy Chiefs of the Army Staff (DCOAS) are Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) of the Indian Army, and are three-star rank appointments held by Lieutenant-Generals. Currently the rank of DCOAS has three divisions:- Capability Development and Sustenance, Information Systems & Coordination and Strategy.

Contents

History

The position of Deputy Chief of Army Staff (DCOAS) was first established on 27 January 1959 as the second-in-command of the Indian Army after the Chief of Army Staff. It was equivalent to an Army Commander (GOC-in-C). [1] [2] Lt. Gen. M. S. Wadalia became the first DCOAS.

In January 1965, the position of Vice Chief of the Army Staff replaced the DCOAS in the role of second-in-command, with the DCOAS becoming a Principal Staff Officer (PSO) position, [3] replacing the former position of Chief of the General Staff. [4]

The office of DCOAS was eventually bifurcated into :- Planning and Systems and Training and Coordination. The division of Training and Coordination was later renamed to Information Systems and Training.

In April 2021, the rank of Deputy Chief (Planning and Systems) was amended to Deputy Chief (Capability Development and Sustenance) and Deputy Chief (Information Systems and Training) to Deputy Chief (Information Systems and Coordination). A third post and new post of DCOAS Strategy was created. [5]

Order of Precedence

The DCOAS rank at No. 24 on the Indian order of precedence, along with Vice-Admirals of the Indian Navy and Air Marshals of the Indian Air Force. [6] Since they should not draw equivalent or more salary than the next higher level, the remuneration is capped at 2,24,000. [7] [8]

Current organisation

Currently, there are three DCOAS at Army HQ: [9]

Appointees

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (1959-65)

No.RankNameAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionDecorationsReferencesNotes
1 Lieutenant General Mohinder Singh Wadalia 27 January 195915 November 1964 Kumaon Regiment [10] [2]
2 Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam 16 November 196415 January 1965 Regiment of Artillery DSO, MBE [11] [12]

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (1965-1993)

No.RankNameAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionDecorationsReferencesNotes
3 Lieutenant General Moti Sagar15 January 19658 May 1965 4th Gorkha Rifles PVSM [11] [13]
4 Kunhiraman Palat Candeth 1 October 19656 June 1966 Regiment of Artillery PVSM [14] [15] Officiating from 26 May 1965 [3]
5 Jagjit Singh Aurora 6 June 196627 April 1967 2nd Punjab Regiment PVSM [15]
6 Gopal Gurunath Bewoor 27 April 19674 July 1969 10th Baluch Regiment PVSM, PB [16]
7Reginald Stephen Noronha4 July 19695 September 1973 Madras Regiment PVSM, MC [17] [18]
8S. L. Menezes5 September 197320 March 1978 The Grenadiers PVSM, SC [19]
9 K. V. Krishna Rao 20 March 197825 May 1979 Mahar Regiment PVSM [20]
10H. C. Dutta25 May 197923 August 1981 8th Gorkha Rifles PVSM [21]
11 Krishnaswamy Sundarji 23 August 19811 January 1983 Mahar Regiment PVSM [22] [23]
12Hriday Kaul16 January 1983February 1985 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) PVSM, AVSM [24] [25]
13C.N. SomannaFebruary 19851 September 1986 Brigade of the Guards PVSM [26]
14Anand Sarup8 September 198631 March 1987 8th Gorkha Rifles PVSM, MVC [27] [28]
15Kunwar Mahendra Singh5 April 198730 November 1987 Garhwal Rifles PVSM [29]
16 Lakshman Singh Rawat 30 November 198730 November 1988 11th Gorkha Rifles AVSM [30]
17R.N. MahajanDecember 19881 August 1991 Kumaon Regiment PVSM, VSM [31] [32]
18R. Sharma22 August 1991September 1993 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) AVSM [33]

Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance)

This officer takes care of all capital procurement. DG Infantry, DG Armoured, ADG Mechanised Infantry, DG Artillery, DG Air Defence and DG Capability Development report come under this office. [5]

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Planning and Systems)

RankNameAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionDecorationsReferencesNotes
Lieutenant General Sushil Kumar Pillai May 1988 Assam Regiment PVSM [34]
Prakash Mani Tripathi 1992September 1993 63rd Cavalry PVSM, AVSM [35]
D.K. KhannaSeptember 199331 August 1994 Kumaon Regiment [36]
S.S. Sethi1 September 1994September 1996 Regiment of Artillery AVSM [37]
N.S. MalikSeptember 199628 February 1998 4th Horse (Hodson's Horse) PVSM [38]
Shamsher Singh MehtaMarch 199831 March 2001 63rd Cavalry PVSM, AVSM**, VSM [39]
Arjun Singh Khanna1 April 200131 August 2002 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, AVSM, VrC [40]
Ashok Chaki1 September 20021 January 2004 4th Gorkha Rifles PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM [41]
P.P.S. Bhandari1 January 200431 January 2006 4th Horse (Hodson's Horse) PVSM, AVSM [42]
Gurditar Singh1 February 2006 Armoured Corps PVSM, AVSM [43]
Zameer Uddin Shah 1 October 200631 August 2008 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, SM, VSM [44]
Manbir Singh DadwalAugust 2008 Dogra Regiment PVSM, AVSM**, VSM [45]
J.P. SinghMarch 2010September 2011 Armoured Corps PVSM, AVSM [46]
Narendra SinghSeptember 20112013 Maratha Light Infantry PVSM, AVSM [46]
C.A. Krishnan20142015 4th Gorkha Rifles PVSM, UYSM, AVSM
Subrata Saha31 March 2017 Assam Regiment PVSM, UYSM, YSM, VSM* [47]
Shravan Kumar Patyal 31 March 2017May 2018 4th Gorkha Rifles PVSM, UYSM, SM [47]
Sudarshan Srikant HasabnisJune 2018December 2020 Corps of Engineers PVSM, VSM [48]

Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance)

RankNamePhotoAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionDecorationsReferencesNotes
Lieutenant General Shantanu Dayal1 January 202131 October 2022 Garhwal Rifles UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM [49]
JB Chaudhari J B Chaudhari.jpg 1 November 202231 October 2024 Brigade of the Guards PVSM, SM, VSM [50]
Rahul R Singh1 November 2024Incumbent Regiment of Artillery VSM [51]

Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Information Systems and Coordination)

The DG Signals, DG Information Systems and DG Staff Duty report to this office. [5]

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Training and Coordination)

RankNameAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionDecorationsReferencesNotes
Lieutenant General Satish Nambiar 199331 August 1994 Maratha Light Infantry PVSM, AVSM, VrC [52]
K.L. D'Souza1 September 1994 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, AVSM [52] [nb 1]
M.R. Sharma19981999 Dogra Regiment PVSM, VSM
Surinder Kumar JetleyFebruary 1999May 2000 Central India Horse PVSM, AVSM, SM [53]
R.K. SawhneyJune 2000 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles PVSM, AVSM [54] [55]
R.S. Kadyan2002 Rajputana Rifles PVSM, AVSM, VSM
J.B.S. Yadava [56] 1 September 200228 February 2005 11th Gorkha Rifles PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM [41] [57]

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Information Systems and Training)

RankNameAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionDecorationsReferencesNotes
Lieutenant General Mohinder Puri28 February 200530 April 2006 3rd Gorkha Rifles PVSM, UYSM [58]
Susheel Gupta1 May 2006 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles AVSM, YSM [58]
Samer Pal Singh Dhillon20082009 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, AVSM, VSM [59]
Virender Singh Tonk2010 Rajput Regiment PVSM, AVSM [60]
Ramesh Halagali February 2012January 2013 Sikh Light Infantry PVSM, AVSM, SM [61]
DS ThakurJanuary 2013 Maratha Light Infantry [62]
Jai Prakash NehraOctober 2014 Madras Regiment PVSM, AVSM** [63]
Gurmit Singh October 2014January 2016 Assam Regiment PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM [64]
Jagbir Singh Cheema1 February 2017November 2017 Sikh Regiment PVSM, AVSM, VSM [65]
N.P.S. Hira14 March 2016Jan 2017 Sikh Light Infantry PVSM, AVSM,SM [66]
Ranbir Singh Dec 2017June 2018 Dogra Regiment PVSM, AVSM*, YSM, SM [67]
Iqroop Singh Ghuman July 20181 October 2019 Brigade of the Guards PVSM, AVSM [68]
Saranjit Singh Sikh Light Infantry PVSM, UYSM, YSM [69]

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Information Systems and Coordination)

RankNameAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionDecorationsReferencesNotes
Lieutenant General Amardeep Singh Bhinder 1 September 202031 March 2021 9th Deccan Horse AVSM, VSM [70] [71]
Upendra Dwivedi 10 April 202131 January 2022 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles AVSM [72]
C.B. Ponnappa 16 February 202231 March 2022 Mahar Regiment AVSM, VSM [73]
Ravin Khosla5 April 202231 March 2023 5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM [74]
Rakesh Kapoor09 June 2023Incumbent Armoured Corps AVSM,VSM [75]

Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy)

The Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), DG Military Intelligence, DG Operation Logistics and DG Information Warfare report to this office. [5]

RankNamePhotoAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionDecorationsReferencesNotes
Lieutenant General Paramjit Singh SanghaFebruary 202130 June 2021 Parachute Regiment UYSM, AVSM, SM [76] [nb 2]
Sanjeev Kumar Sharma Lieutenant General Sanjeev Kumar Sharma official portrait.jpg 1 July 202130 June 2022 Rajputana Rifles AVSM, YSM [77] [78]
M. V. Suchindra Kumar Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar.jpg 1 July 202228 February 2023 Assam Regiment AVSM, YSM**, VSM [79]
Tarun Kumar Aich Lt Gen Tarun Kumar Aich DCOAS (Strat).jpg 15 March 202331 October 2024 Madras Regiment PVSM, AVSM [80]
Pratik Sharma Lt Gen Pratik Sharma.jpg 1 November 2024Incumbent Madras Regiment AVSM, SM [81]

See also

Notes

  1. General D'Souza served in the artillery for fifteen years before shifting to Infantry in 1974 - initially to Maratha Light Infantry and subsequently Mechanised Infantry.
  2. Lt. Gen. Sangha was commissioned into the Indian Army on 12 June 1982 in Madras Regiment. He later on shifted to the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) in January 1984.

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