Chief of the Naval Staff (India)

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Chief of the Naval Staff
Admiral ensign of Indian Navy.svg
Admiral DK Tripathi.jpg
Incumbent
Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi
PVSM , AVSM , NM
since 30 April 2024
Naval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy
StatusProfessional head of naval branch of the Indian Armed Forces.
AbbreviationCNS
Member of National Security Council
Defence Planning Committee
Defence Acquisition Council
Reports to Flag of India.svg President of India
Flag of India.svg Prime Minister of India
Flag of India.svg Minister of Defence
Flag of Chief of Defence Staff (India).svg Chief of Defence Staff
Seat Integrated HQ of MoD (Navy), South Block, Central Secretariat, New Delhi
Appointer Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC)
President of India
Term length 3 years or at the age of 62, whichever is earlier.
Constituting instrument Navy Act, 1957 (Act No. 62 of 1957)
PrecursorChief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy
Formation26 January 1950;74 years ago (1950-01-26)
First holder Vice-Admiral Edward Parry
DeputyVice Admiral ensign of Indian Navy.svg Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
Salary250,000 (US$3,100) monthly [1] [2]

The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) is the office of the professional head of the Indian Navy (IN), the naval branch of the Indian Armed Forces. [3] Customarily held by a four-star admiral, the CNS is the senior-most operational officer of the IN, tasked with the roles of supervising the force's overall functioning during peace and wartime, along with the execution of India's strategic maritime objectives, namely, the defence of the country's maritime sovereignty around its territorial waters, and the realization of both its domestic-cum-international security interests vis-à-vis maritime vigilance across international sea lines. [4] Also a permanent member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) and the National Security Council (NSC), the CNS also bears the responsibility of advising the nation's civilian leadership i.e., the Government of India on all matters privy to the IN. [5]

Contents

Statutorily, the CNS ranks 12th-overall in the Indian order of precedence, and is the IN's status-equivalent of the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of the Army Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff - all three positions of which are also occupied by four-star officers from the armed forces. [6]

Office of the Chief of the Naval Staff

At Independence, the head of the Navy was designated the "Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Navy." [7] On 21 June 1948, the title of "Chief of the Naval Staff" was added, [8] with a re-designation to "Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Navy".

The "Royal" designation was dropped when India became a republic on 26 January 1950. Thus re-designating the head of Indian Navy to "Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy".

The "Commanders-In-Chief (Change in Designation) Act, 1955" re-designated the head of Indian Navy to "Chief of the Naval Staff". [9] The post was held by a three-star rank Vice Admiral until 1968, when it was upgraded to the four-star rank of a full Admiral.

Appointments to the office are made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). The Chief of the Naval Staff generally reaches superannuation upon serving three years or at the age of 62, whichever is earlier.

Official residence

The official residence of the CNS, Navy House, is situated at 12, Rajaji Marg. It is a Type-VIII bungalow located inside the Lutyens Bungalow Zone. [10]

Appointees

Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Navy (1947–1948)

No.PortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTime in officeRef.
1
John Talbot Savignac Hall.jpg
Hall, John Talbot SavignacRear Admiral
John Talbot Savignac Hall CIE
(1896–1964)
15 August 194720 June 1948310 days [11] [12]

Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Navy (1948–1950)

No.PortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTime in officeRef.
1
John Talbot Savignac Hall.jpg
Hall, John Talbot SavignacRear Admiral
John Talbot Savignac Hall CIE
(1896–1964)
21 June 194814 August 194854 days [11] [13]
2
Blank.png
Parry, William EdwardVice Admiral
Sir William Edward Parry KCB
(1893–1972)
14 August 194825 January 19501 year, 164 days.

Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy (1950–1955)

No.PortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTime in office
2
No image.png
Parry, William Edward Vice-Admiral
Sir William Edward Parry KCB [14]
(1893–1972)
26 January 195013 October 19511 year, 260 days
3
Mark Pizey (cropped).jpg
Pizey, Charles Thomas Mark Admiral
Sir Charles Thomas Mark Pizey KBE , CB , DSO & Bar
(1899–1993)
13 October 195131 March 19553 years, 169 days

Chief of the Naval Staff (1955–present)

No.PortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTime in office
1
Mark Pizey (cropped).jpg
Pizey, Charles Admiral
Sir Charles Thomas Mark Pizey KBE , CB , DSO & Bar
(1899–1993)
1 April 195521 July 1955111 days
2
No image.png
Carlill, Stephen Hope Vice-Admiral
Sir Stephen Hope Carlill KBE , CB , DSO & Bar
(1902–1996)
21 July 195521 April 19582 years, 274 days
3
Admiral RD Katari.jpg
Katari, Ram Dass Vice-Admiral
Ram Dass Katari
(1911–1983)
22 April 19584 June 19624 years, 43 days
4
No image.png
Soman, Bhaskar Sadashiv Vice-Admiral
Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman
(1913–1995)
4 June 19623 March 19663 years, 272 days
5
Admiral AK Chatterji.jpg
Chatterji, Adhar Kumar Admiral
Adhar Kumar Chatterji
(1914–2001)
3 March 196628 February 19703 years, 362 days
6
Admiral SM Nanda.jpg
Nanda, Sardarilal Mathradas Admiral
Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda PVSM , AVSM
(1915–2009)
28 February 197028 February 19733 years
7
Adm SN Kohli.jpg
Kohli, Sourendra Nath Admiral
Sourendra Nath Kohli PVSM
(1916–1997)
1 March 197329 February 19762 years, 365 days
8
No image.png
Cursetji, Jal Admiral
Jal Cursetji PVSM
(1919–1991)
1 March 19761 March 19793 years
9
Ronald-lynsdale-pereira.jpg
Pereira, Ronald Lynsdale Admiral
Ronald Lynsdale Pereira PVSM , AVSM
(1923–1993)
1 March 197928 February 19822 years, 364 days
10
Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson.png
Dawson, Oscar Stanley Admiral
Oscar Stanley Dawson PVSM , AVSM , ADC
(1923–2011)
1 March 198230 November 19842 years, 274 days
11
Admiral Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani.jpg
Tahiliani, Radhakrishna Hariram Admiral
Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani PVSM , AVSM
(1930–2015)
1 December 198430 November 19872 years, 364 days
12
Jayant Nadkarni.jpg
Nadkarni, Jayant Ganpat Admiral
Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni PVSM , AVSM , NM , VSM , ADC
(1931–2018)
1 December 198730 November 19902 years, 364 days
13
Ramdas l.jpg
Ramdas, Laxminarayan Admiral
Laxminarayan Ramdas PVSM , AVSM , VrC , VSM , ADC
(1933–2024)
1 December 199030 September 19932 years, 303 days
14
No image.png
Shekhawat, Vijai Singh Admiral
Vijai Singh Shekhawat PVSM , AVSM , VrC , ADC
(born 1937 [15] )
1 October 199330 September 19962 years, 365 days
15
No image.png
Bhagwat, Vishnu Vishnu Bhagwat PVSM , AVSM , ADC
(born 1939 [16] )
1 October 199630 December 19982 years, 90 days
16
Admiral Sushil Kumar.jpg
Kumar, Sushil Admiral
Sushil Kumar PVSM , UYSM , AVSM , NM , ADC
(1940–2019 [17] )
30 December 199829 December 20012 years, 364 days
17
Admiral Madhvendra Singh.jpg
Singh, Madhvendra Admiral
Madhvendra Singh PVSM , AVSM , ADC
(born 1942 [18] )
29 December 200131 July 20042 years, 215 days
18
Arun Prakash.jpg
Prakash, Arun Admiral
Arun Prakash PVSM , AVSM , VrC , VSM , ADC
(born 1944)
31 July 200431 October 20062 years, 215 days
19
SureeshMehta (cropped).jpg
Mehta, Sureesh Admiral
Sureesh Mehta PVSM , AVSM , ADC
(born 1947)
31 October 200631 August 20092 years, 304 days
20
Admiral Verma.jpg
Verma, Nirmal Kumar Admiral
Nirmal Kumar Verma PVSM , AVSM
(born 1951)
31 August 200931 August 20123 years
21
DK Joshi official portrait.jpg
Joshi, Devendra Kumar Admiral
Devendra Kumar Joshi PVSM , AVSM , YSM , NM , VSM , ADC
(born 1954)
31 August 201226 February 20141 year, 179 days
CNS Adm. Robin K. Dhowan.jpg
Dhowan, Robin Vice Admiral
Robin K. Dhowan PVSM , AVSM , YSM , ADC
(born 1954)
Acting
26 February 201417 April 201450 days
22
CNS Adm. Robin K. Dhowan.jpg
Dhowan, Robin Admiral
Robin K. Dhowan PVSM , AVSM , YSM , ADC
(born 1954)
17 April 201431 May 20162 years, 44 days
23
Admiral Sunil Lanba, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, Chairman COSC and Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy.jpg
Lanba, Sunil Admiral
Sunil Lanba PVSM , AVSM , ADC
(born 1957)
31 May 201631 May 20193 years
24
Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM, ADC.jpg
Admiral
Karambir Singh PVSM , AVSM , ADC
(born 1959)
[19]
31 May 201930 November 20212 years, 183 days
25
Adm R. Hari Kumar CNS.jpg
Admiral
R. Hari Kumar PVSM , AVSM , VSM , ADC
(born 1962)
[20]
30 November 202130 April 20242 years, 152 days
26
Admiral DK Tripathi.jpg
Admiral
Dinesh K Tripathi PVSM , AVSM , NM
(born 1964)
[21]
30 April 2024Incumbent15 days

See also

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