Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (India)

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.

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff
Flag of a Lieutenant General
 Indian Army
TypePrincipal Staff Officer
AbbreviationDCOAS
Reports toVice Chief of the Army Staff
SeatArmy Headquarters, New Delhi

History

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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

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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

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

  • Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance)
  • Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Information Systems and Coordination)
  • Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy)

Appointees

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Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (1959-65)

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No. Rank Name Appointment date Left office Regiment of Commission Decorations References Notes
1 Lieutenant General Mohinder Singh Wadalia 27 January 1959 15 November 1964 Kumaon Regiment [10][2]
2 Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam 16 November 1964 15 January 1965 Regiment of Artillery DSO, MBE [11][12]

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (1965-1993)

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No. Rank Name Appointment date Left office Regiment of Commission Decorations References Notes
3 Lieutenant General Moti Sagar 15 January 1965 8 May 1965 4th Gorkha Rifles PVSM [11][13]
4 Kunhiraman Palat Candeth 1 October 1965 6 June 1966 Regiment of Artillery PVSM [14][15] Officiating from 26 May 1965[3]
5 Jagjit Singh Aurora 6 June 1966 27 April 1967 2nd Punjab Regiment PVSM [15]
6 Gopal Gurunath Bewoor 27 April 1967 4 July 1969 10th Baluch Regiment PVSM, PB [16]
7 Reginald Stephen Noronha 4 July 1969 5 September 1973 Madras Regiment PVSM, MC [17][18]
8 S. L. Menezes 5 September 1973 20 March 1978 The Grenadiers PVSM, SC [19]
9 K. V. Krishna Rao 20 March 1978 25 May 1979 Mahar Regiment PVSM [20]
10 H. C. Dutta 25 May 1979 23 August 1981 8th Gorkha Rifles PVSM [21]
11 Krishnaswamy Sundarji 23 August 1981 1 January 1983 Mahar Regiment PVSM [22][23]
12 Hriday Kaul 16 January 1983 February 1985 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) PVSM, AVSM [24][25]
13 C.N. Somanna February 1985 1 September 1986 Brigade of the Guards PVSM [26]
14 Anand Sarup 8 September 1986 31 March 1987 8th Gorkha Rifles PVSM, MVC [27][28]
15 Kunwar Mahendra Singh 5 April 1987 30 November 1987 Garhwal Rifles PVSM [29]
16 Lakshman Singh Rawat 30 November 1987 30 November 1988 11th Gorkha Rifles AVSM [30]
17 R.N. Mahajan December 1988 1 August 1991 Kumaon Regiment PVSM, VSM [31][32]
18 R. Sharma 22 August 1991 September 1993 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) AVSM [33]

Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance)

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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)

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Rank Name Appointment date Left office Regiment of Commission Decorations References Notes
Lieutenant General Sushil Kumar Pillai May 1988 Assam Regiment PVSM [34]
Prakash Mani Tripathi 1992 September 1993 63rd Cavalry PVSM, AVSM [35]
D.K. Khanna September 1993 31 August 1994 Kumaon Regiment [36]
S.S. Sethi 1 September 1994 September 1996 Regiment of Artillery AVSM [37]
N.S. Malik September 1996 28 February 1998 4th Horse (Hodson's Horse) PVSM [38]
Shamsher Singh Mehta March 1998 31 March 2001 63rd Cavalry PVSM, AVSM**, VSM [39]
Arjun Singh Khanna 1 April 2001 31 August 2002 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, AVSM, VrC [40]
Ashok Chaki 1 September 2002 1 January 2004 4th Gorkha Rifles PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM [41]
P.P.S. Bhandari 1 January 2004 31 January 2006 4th Horse (Hodson's Horse) PVSM, AVSM [42]
Gurditar Singh 1 February 2006 Armoured Corps PVSM, AVSM [43]
Zameer Uddin Shah 1 October 2006 31 August 2008 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, SM, VSM [44]
Manbir Singh Dadwal August 2008 Dogra Regiment PVSM, AVSM**, VSM [45]
J.P. Singh March 2010 September 2011 Armoured Corps PVSM, AVSM [46]
Narendra Singh September 2011 2013 Maratha Light Infantry PVSM, AVSM [46]
C.A. Krishnan 2014 2015 4th Gorkha Rifles PVSM, UYSM, AVSM
Subrata Saha 31 March 2017 Assam Regiment PVSM, UYSM, YSM, VSM* [47]
Shravan Kumar Patyal 31 March 2017 May 2018 4th Gorkha Rifles PVSM, UYSM, SM [47]
Sudarshan Srikant Hasabnis June 2018 December 2020 Corps of Engineers PVSM, VSM [48]

Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance)

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Rank Name Photo Appointment date Left office Regiment of Commission Decorations References Notes
Lieutenant General Shantanu Dayal 1 January 2021 31 October 2022 Garhwal Rifles UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM [49]
JB Chaudhari   1 November 2022 31 October 2024 Brigade of the Guards PVSM, SM, VSM [50]
Rahul R Singh 1 November 2024 Incumbent Regiment of Artillery VSM [51]

Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Information Systems and Coordination)

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

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Training and Coordination)

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Rank Name Appointment date Left office Regiment of Commission Decorations References Notes
Lieutenant General Satish Nambiar 1993 31 August 1994 Maratha Light Infantry PVSM, AVSM, VrC [52]
K.L. D'Souza 1 September 1994 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, AVSM [52] [nb 1]
M.R. Sharma 1998 1999 Dogra Regiment PVSM, VSM
Surinder Kumar Jetley February 1999 May 2000 Central India Horse PVSM, AVSM, SM [53]
R.K. Sawhney June 2000 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles PVSM, AVSM [54][55]
R.S. Kadyan 2002 Rajputana Rifles PVSM, AVSM, VSM
J.B.S. Yadava[56] 1 September 2002 28 February 2005 11th Gorkha Rifles PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM [41][57]

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

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Rank Name Appointment date Left office Regiment of Commission Decorations References Notes
Lieutenant General Mohinder Puri 28 February 2005 30 April 2006 3rd Gorkha Rifles PVSM, UYSM [58]
Susheel Gupta 1 May 2006 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles AVSM, YSM [58]
Samer Pal Singh Dhillon 2008 2009 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, AVSM, VSM [59]
Virender Singh Tonk 2010 Rajput Regiment PVSM, AVSM [60]
Ramesh Halagali February 2012 January 2013 Sikh Light Infantry PVSM, AVSM, SM [61]
DS Thakur January 2013 Maratha Light Infantry [62]
Jai Prakash Nehra October 2014 Madras Regiment PVSM, AVSM** [63]
Gurmit Singh October 2014 January 2016 Assam Regiment PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM [64]
Jagbir Singh Cheema 1 February 2017 November 2017 Sikh Regiment PVSM, AVSM, VSM [65]
N.P.S. Hira 14 March 2016 Jan 2017 Sikh Light Infantry PVSM, AVSM,SM [66]
Ranbir Singh Dec 2017 June 2018 Dogra Regiment PVSM, AVSM*, YSM, SM [67]
Iqroop Singh Ghuman July 2018 1 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)

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Rank Name Appointment date Left office Regiment of Commission Decorations References Notes
Lieutenant General Amardeep Singh Bhinder 1 September 2020 31 March 2021 9th Deccan Horse AVSM, VSM [70][71]
Upendra Dwivedi 10 April 2021 31 January 2022 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles AVSM [72]
C.B. Ponnappa 16 February 2022 31 March 2022 Mahar Regiment AVSM, VSM [73]
Ravin Khosla 5 April 2022 31 March 2023 5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM [74]
Rakesh Kapoor 09 June 2023 Incumbent Armoured Corps AVSM,VSM [75]

Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy)

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

Rank Name Photo Appointment date Left office Regiment of Commission Decorations References Notes
Lieutenant General Paramjit Singh Sangha February 2021 30 June 2021 Parachute Regiment UYSM, AVSM, SM [76] [nb 2]
Sanjeev Kumar Sharma   1 July 2021 30 June 2022 Rajputana Rifles AVSM, YSM [77] [78]
M. V. Suchindra Kumar   1 July 2022 28 February 2023 Assam Regiment AVSM, YSM**, VSM [79]
Tarun Kumar Aich   15 March 2023 31 October 2024 Madras Regiment PVSM, AVSM [80]
Pratik Sharma 1 November 2024 Incumbent Madras Regiment AVSM, SM [81]

See also

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Notes

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  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.

References

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