The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) (unofficially known as the Army Chief) is a statutory position in the Indian Army held usually by a four star general. As the highest ranking officer to serve solely in the Indian Army, the chief is the professional head of the ground forces and a key adviser to the Minister of Defence. The COAS, in a separate capacity, is also a member of the

National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...

and thereby an advisor to the president and the prime minister. The COAS is typically the most senior army officer in the Indian Armed Forces, unless the Chief of Defence Staff and/or the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee is an army officer.

Office of the Chief of the Army Staff

The post of

Commander-in-Chief, India During the period of the Company rule in India and the British Raj, the Commander-in-Chief, India (often "Commander-in-Chief ''in'' or ''of'' India") was the supreme commander of the British Indian Army. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his ...

was established in 1748 to designate the commander of all forces of East India Company. After 1857 , the Commander-in-Chief become the supreme commander of the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

. The C-in-C was also the overall head of the armed forces of the British India including the Royal Indian Air Force and Royal Indian Navy. The Commander-in-Chief was also closely in contact with Office of the Viceroy of India. After partition in 1947 the post of Commander-in-Chief was divided into:- Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army, Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army and Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in India and Pakistan. At Independence, the head of the Indian Army was designated as the "Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army". On 21 June 1948, the title of "Chief of the Army Staff" was added, with the post correspondingly re-designated as the "Chief of the Army Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army". The designation was again changed to "Chief of Army Staff" through the Commanders-In-Chief (Change in Designation) Act ,1955. The office is based at South Block of the Central Secretariat at Raisina Hill, New Delhi. Appointments to the office are made by the

Appointments Committee of the Cabinet The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) appoints several top posts within the Government of India. The committee is composed of the Prime Minister of India (''ex-officio'' Chairman) and the Minister of Home Affairs. Originally the Minis ...

(ACC). The COAS reaches

superannuation A pension (, from Latin ''pensiō'', "payment") is a fund into which a sum of money is added during an employee's employment years and from which payments are drawn to support the person's retirement from work in the form of periodic payments ...

upon three years in the office or at the age of 62, whichever is earlier.

Appointees

The following table chronicles the appointees to the office of the Chief of the Army Staff or its preceding positions since the

independence of India The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...

. Ranks and honours are as at the completion of their tenure:

Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army (1947–1955)

Chief of the Army Staff (1955–present)

Notes

References

Sources

* {{Chief of the army by country *C India Indian military appointments Indian Army appointments