Wikipedia

Chief of the Naval Staff (India)

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]

Chief of the Naval Staff
Flag of the Chief of the Naval Staff
Incumbent
Admiral R. Hari Kumar
PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC
since 30 November 2021
 Indian Navy
StatusProfessional head of naval branch of the Indian Armed Forces.
AbbreviationCNS
Member ofNational Security Council
Defence Planning Committee
Defence Acquisition Council
Reports to President of India
Prime Minister of India
Minister of Defence
Chief of Defence Staff
SeatIntegrated HQ of MoD (Navy), South Block, Central Secretariat, New Delhi
AppointerAppointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC)
President of India
Term length3 years or at the age of 62, whichever is earlier.
Constituting instrumentNavy 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 holderVice-Admiral Edward Parry
Deputy Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
Salary₹250,000 (US$3,100) monthly[1][2]

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 edit

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.

Appointees edit

See also: Royal Indian Navy § Commanding officers

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

No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
1Hall, John Talbot SavignacRear Admiral
John Talbot Savignac Hall CIE
(1896–1964)		15 August 194720 June 1948310 days[10][11]

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

No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
1Hall, John Talbot SavignacRear Admiral
John Talbot Savignac Hall CIE
(1896–1964)		21 June 194814 August 194854 days[10][12]
2Parry, 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) edit

No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office
2Parry, William EdwardVice-Admiral
Sir William Edward Parry KCB [13]
(1893–1972)		26 January 195013 October 19511 year, 260 days
3Pizey, Charles Thomas MarkAdmiral
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) edit

No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office
3Pizey, CharlesAdmiral
Sir Charles Thomas Mark Pizey KBE, CB, DSO & Bar
(1899–1993)		1 April 195521 July 1955111 days
4Carlill, Stephen HopeVice-Admiral
Sir Stephen Hope Carlill KBE, CB, DSO & Bar
(1902–1996)		21 July 195521 April 19582 years, 274 days
5Katari, Ram DassVice-Admiral
Ram Dass Katari
(1911–1983)		22 April 19584 June 19624 years, 43 days
6Soman, Bhaskar SadashivVice-Admiral
Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman
(1913–1995)		4 June 19623 March 19663 years, 272 days
7Chatterji, Adhar KumarAdmiral
Adhar Kumar Chatterji
(1914–2001)		3 March 196628 February 19703 years, 362 days
8Nanda, Sardarilal MathradasAdmiral
Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda PVSM, AVSM
(1915–2009)		28 February 197028 February 19733 years
9Kohli, Sourendra NathAdmiral
Sourendra Nath Kohli PVSM
(1916–1997)		1 March 197329 February 19762 years, 365 days
10Cursetji, JalAdmiral
Jal Cursetji PVSM
(1919–1991)		1 March 19761 March 19793 years
11Pereira, Ronald LynsdaleAdmiral
Ronald Lynsdale Pereira PVSM, AVSM
(1923–1993)		1 March 197928 February 19822 years, 364 days
12Dawson, Oscar StanleyAdmiral
Oscar Stanley Dawson PVSM, AVSM, ADC
(1923–2011)		1 March 198230 November 19842 years, 274 days
13Tahiliani, Radhakrishna HariramAdmiral
Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani PVSM, AVSM
(1930–2015)		1 December 198430 November 19872 years, 364 days
14Nadkarni, Jayant GanpatAdmiral
Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni PVSM, AVSM, NM, VSM, ADC
(1931–2018)		1 December 198730 November 19902 years, 364 days
15Ramdas, LaxminarayanAdmiral
Laxminarayan Ramdas PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM, ADC
(1933–2024)		1 December 199030 September 19932 years, 303 days
16Shekhawat, Vijai SinghAdmiral
Vijai Singh Shekhawat PVSM, AVSM, VrC, ADC
(born 1937[14])		1 October 199330 September 19962 years, 365 days
17Bhagwat, VishnuVishnu Bhagwat PVSM, AVSM, ADC
(born 1939[15])		1 October 199630 December 19982 years, 90 days
18Kumar, SushilAdmiral
Sushil Kumar PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, NM, ADC
(1940–2019[16])		30 December 199829 December 20012 years, 364 days
19Singh, MadhvendraAdmiral
Madhvendra Singh PVSM, AVSM, ADC
(born 1942[17])		29 December 200131 July 20042 years, 215 days
20Prakash, ArunAdmiral
Arun Prakash PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM, ADC
(born 1944)		31 July 200431 October 20062 years, 215 days
21Mehta, SureeshAdmiral
Sureesh Mehta PVSM, AVSM, ADC
(born 1947)		31 October 200631 August 20092 years, 304 days
22Verma, Nirmal KumarAdmiral
Nirmal Kumar Verma PVSM, AVSM
(born 1951)		31 August 200931 August 20123 years
23Joshi, Devendra KumarAdmiral
Devendra Kumar Joshi PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM, ADC
(born 1954)		31 August 201226 February 20141 year, 179 days
–Dhowan, RobinVice Admiral
Robin K. Dhowan PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC
(born 1954)
Acting		26 February 201417 April 201450 days
24Dhowan, RobinAdmiral
Robin K. Dhowan PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC
(born 1954)		17 April 201431 May 20162 years, 44 days
25Lanba, SunilAdmiral
Sunil Lanba PVSM, AVSM, ADC
(born 1957)		31 May 201631 May 20193 years
26Admiral
Karambir Singh PVSM, AVSM, ADC
(born 1959)
[18]		31 May 201930 November 20212 years, 183 days
27Admiral
R. Hari Kumar PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC
(born 1962)
[19]		30 November 2021Incumbent2 years, 139 days

See also edit

References edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chief of the Naval Staff (India).
  1. ^ "Report of the 7th Central Pay Commission of India" (PDF). Seventh Central Pay Commission, Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  2. ^ Biswas, Shreya, ed. (29 June 2016). "7th Pay Commission cleared: What is the Pay Commission? How does it affect salaries?". India Today. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  3. ^ "Chief of the Naval Staff". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  4. ^ "Defense & Security India's Evolving Maritime Strategy". southasianvoices.org. 31 May 2023.
  5. ^ "The Civil and the Military in India". www.theindiaforum.in. 12 February 2020.
  6. ^ "PRESIDENT'S SECRETARIAT" (PDF). www.mha.gov.in. 26 July 1979.
  7. ^ "Press Note" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 10 February 1947. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  8. ^ "Press Communique" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 21 June 1948. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  9. ^ "The Commanders-In-Chief (Change in Designation) Act, 1955". VakilNo1.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  10. ^ a b "World War II unit histories & officers". unithistories.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Press Note" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 10 February 1947. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Press Communique" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 21 June 1948. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  13. ^ "Hon'ble President Shri Ram Nath Kovind to award the President's colour to Indian Naval Academy". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  14. ^ Service Chiefs of India, S.Sartaj Alam Abidi & Satinder Sharma P. 127
  15. ^ Service Chiefs of India, S.Sartaj Alam Abidi & Satinder Sharma P. 131
  16. ^ "Former Indian Navy chief Sushil Kumar dies".
  17. ^ Service Chiefs of India, S.Sartaj Alam Abidi & Satinder Sharma P. 135
  18. ^ "Vice Admiral Karambir Singh appointed next Navy Chief". The Hindu. 23 March 2019.
  19. ^ "Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar to be next chief of naval staff". Times of India. 9 November 2021.
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