Vice Chief of the Army Staff (India)

The Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) is the deputy head and second-highest ranking officer of the Indian Army. The VCOAS is a PSO (Principal Staff Officer) at Army Headquarters in New Delhi. The office is held by a senior officer in the rank of Lieutenant General, of the Commander-in-Chief (Army Commander) grade. Ten of the forty Vice Chiefs have gone on to head the Indian Army as the Chief of the Army Staff.

Vice Chief of the Army Staff
Flag of the Vice Chief of the Army Staff
Incumbent
Chandi Prasad Mohanty
since 1 February 2021
 Indian Army
StyleLieutenant General
TypePrincipal Staff Officer
AbbreviationVCOAS
Reports toChief of the Army Staff
SeatArmy Headquarters, New Delhi
Formation15 January 1965
First holderP. P. Kumaramangalam

The current VCOAS is Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty who assumed the office from 01 February 2021.[1][2][3]

History

In January 1959, the appointment of Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (DCOAS) was created at Army HQ. The DCOAS was the second-in-command and was equivalent to an Army Commander (GOC-in-C). In January 1965, the post became the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, with the DCOAS becoming a PSO appointment.[4][5] Lieutenant General P.P. Kumaramangalam took over as the first VCOAS.

Order of Precedence

The VCOAS ranks at No. 23 on the Indian order of precedence, along with the Vice Chiefs of Staff of the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force and the Army Commanders (GOC-in-C), Naval Commanders (FOC-in-C) and Air Commanders (AOC-in-C).[6] The VCOAS is at the Apex Pay grade (Grade 17), with a monthly pay of ₹225,000 (US$3,200).[7]

Appointees

The following table chronicles the appointees to the office of the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.

No. Rank Name Appointment date Left office Regiment of Commission Decorations References
1 Lieutenant General P. P. Kumaramangalam** 15 January 1965 7 June 1966 Regiment of Artillery DSO [8][9]
2 Kashmir Singh Katoch 8 June 1966 22 November 1970 13th Frontier Force Rifles MC [10]
3 Har Prasad 23 November 1970 31 October 1973 Armoured Corps PVSM [11]
4 M. L. Thapan 1 November 1973 31 July 1974 Jat Regiment PVSM [12]
5 N. C. Rawlley 1 August 1974 31 December 1975 Brigade of the Guards PVSM, AVSM, MC [13]
6 A. M. Vohra 1 January 1976 19 January 1977 3 Gorkha Rifles PVSM [14]
7 Om Prakash Malhotra** 20 January 1977 31 May 1978 Regiment of Artillery PVSM [15]
8 S. L. Menezes 1 July 1978 31 January 1980 The Grenadiers PVSM, SC [16][17]
9 Jaswant Singh 1 February 1980 6 July 1980 Punjab Regiment PVSM, AVSM
10 Adi M. Sethna 7 July 1980 31 December 1982 Rajputana Rifles PVSM, AVSM [18]
11 Srinivas Kumar Sinha 1 January 1983 1 June 1983 5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) PVSM [19]
12 G. S. Rawat 5 August 1983 31 December 1984 Kumaon Regiment PVSM, AVSM [20][21]
13 Krishnaswamy Sundarji** 13 February 1985 31 January 1986 Mahar Regiment PVSM [22][23]
14 K. K. Hazari 1 February 1986 31 May 1987 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, AVSM
15 J. K. Puri 1 June 1987 31 August 1987 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, AVSM [24]
16 Sunith Francis Rodrigues** 1 November 1987 20 April 1989 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, VSM [25]
17 V. K. Sood 15 May 1989 29 February 1992 Dogra Regiment PVSM, AVSM [26]
18 Vijai Singh 1 March 1992 30 June 1993 8th Light Cavalry PVSM [27]
19 Surinder Nath 1 July 1993 30 June 1995 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, AVSM
20 M. L. Dar 1 July 1995 31 July 1996 Poona Horse PVSM, AVSM [28]
21 Ved Prakash Malik** 1 August 1996 30 September 1997 Sikh Light Infantry PVSM, AVSM
22 Chandra Shekhar 1 October 1997 30 September 2000 4 Gorkha Rifles PVSM, AVSM, ADC [29]
23 Vijay Oberoi 1 October 2000 30 September 2001 Maratha Light Infantry PVSM, AVSM, VSM [30][31]
24 Nirmal Chander Vij** 1 October 2001 31 December 2002 Dogra Regiment PVSM, UYSM, AVSM [32]
25 Shantonu Choudhry 1 January 2003 31 December 2004 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, AVSM, VSM [33][34]
26 Bhupender Singh Thakur 15 January 2005 30 September 2005 Central India Horse PVSM, AVSM [35][36]
27 S. Pattabhiraman 1 October 2005 31 December 2006 Bombay Sappers PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM [37][38]
28 Deepak Kapoor** 1 January 2007 30 September 2007 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC [39][40]
29 Milan Lalitkumar Naidu 1 October 2007 31 December 2008 Rajput Regiment PVSM, AVSM, YSM [41][42][43]
30 Noble Thamburaj 1 January 2008 30 September 2009 Bombay Sappers PVSM, SM [44][45][46]
31 Prabodh Chandra Bhardwaj 1 October 2009 30 November 2010 1 Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) PVSM, AVSM, VrC, SC, VSM [47][48][49]
32 Avtar Singh Lamba 6 December 2010 30 September 2011 Regiment of Artillery PVSM, AVSM [50][51]
33 Shri Krishna Singh 1 October 2011 31 December 2013 8 Gorkha Rifles PVSM, UYSM, AVSM [52]
34 Dalbir Singh Suhag** 1 January 2014 31 July 2014 5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC [53]
35 Philip Campose 1 August 2014 31 July 2015 Mechanized Infantry PVSM, AVSM & Bar, VSM [54][55]
36 Man Mohan Singh Rai 1 August 2015 31 July 2016 Bombay Sappers PVSM, AVSM, VSM [56]
37 Bipin Rawat** 1 September 2016 31 December 2016 5/11 Gorkha Rifles UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, ADC [57]
38 Sarath Chand 13 January 2017 31 May 2018 Garhwal Rifles PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM [58]
39 Devraj Anbu 1 June 2018 31 August 2019 14 Sikh Light Infantry PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, ADC [59]
40 Manoj Mukund Naravane** 1 September 2019 30 December 2019 7 Sikh Light Infantry PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC [60]
41 Satinder Kumar Saini 25 January 2020 31 January 2021 7 Jat Regiment PVSM, AVSM, YSM, VSM, ADC [61]
42 Chandi Prasad Mohanty 1 February 2021 Incumbent Rajput Regiment PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM [62]

** Went on to become Chief of the Army Staff (COAS)

See also

References
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