Chief of the Army Staff ( India ) - Wikipedia Chief of the Army Staff ( India ) Chief of the Army Staff of Indian Army Flag of the Chief of the Army Staff Incumbent General Bipin Rawat, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM since 31 December 2016 Indian Army Abbreviation COAS Member of Strategic Policy Group, Chief of Staff Committee ( COSC ) Seat Central Secretariat Appointer Appointments Committee of the Cabinet ( ACC ) Term length 3 years or at the age of 62, whichever is earlier. Precursor Commander - in - Chief, Indian Army Formation 1 April 1955 ; 63 years ago ( 1955 - 04 - 01 ) First holder General Rajendrasinhji Jadeja Succession 12th ( on the Indian order of precedence ) Deputy Vice Chief of the Army Staff Salary ₹ 250,000 ( US $3,600 ) monthly The Chief of the Army Staff is the commander and usually the highest - ranking officer of the Indian Army. The position is abbreviated as COAS in Indian Army, and usually held by a four - star officer in the rank of General. The current COAS is General Bipin Rawat, who took office on 31 December 2016 following the retirement of General Dalbir Singh. Contents 1 Office of the Chief of the Army Staff 2 Appointees 2.1 Commander - in - Chief, Indian Army ( 1947 -- 1955 ) 2.2 Chief of the Army Staff ( 1955 -- present ) 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 Sources Office of the Chief of the Army Staff The office of the Chief of the Army Staff was created through The Commanders - In - Chief ( Change in Designation ) Act of the Indian Parliament in 1955. It replaced the erstwhile office of the Commander - in - Chief, Army. 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 ( ACC ). The COAS reaches superannuation upon three years in the office or at the age of 62, whichever is earlier. Appointees The rank of Commander - in - Chief, India was established in 1748 to designate the commander of all British and British Indian forces. 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. Commander - in - Chief, Indian Army ( 1947 -- 1955 ) No Name Took office Left office Time in office Unit of Commission Ref Lockhart, Rob General Rob Lockhart KCB, CIE, MC ( 1893 -- 1981 ) 15 August 1947 1 October 1948 7002413000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 47 days 51st Sikhs -- Bucher, Roy General Roy Bucher KCB, CB, MC ( 1895 -- 1980 ) 1 January 1948 15 January 1949 7002380000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 14 days Cameronians ( Scottish Rifles ) -- Cariappa, Kodandera Field Marshal KM Cariappa OBE ( 1899 -- 1993 ) 16 January 1949 14 January 1953 7003145900000000000 ♠ 3 years, 364 days Rajput Regiment -- Jadeja, Rajendrasinhji General Rajendrasinhji Jadeja DSO ( 1899 -- 1964 ) 14 January 1953 1 April 1955 7002807000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 77 days 2nd Lancers ( Gardner 's Horse ) Chief of the Army Staff ( 1955 -- present ) No Name Took office Left office Time in office Unit of Commission Jadeja, Rajendrasinhji General Rajendrasinhji Jadeja DSO ( 1899 -- 1964 ) 1 April 1955 14 May 1955 7001430000000000000 ♠ 43 days 2nd Lancers ( Gardner 's Horse ) Shrinagesh, S. General S.M. Shrinagesh ( 1903 -- 1977 ) 15 May 1955 7 May 1957 7002723000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 357 days 19th Hyderabad Regiment Thimayya, Kodendera General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya Padma Bhushan, DSO, ADC ( 1906 -- 1965 ) 8 May 1957 7 May 1961 7003146100000000000 ♠ 4 years, 0 days 19th Hyderabad Regiment Thapar, Pran General Pran Nath Thapar ( 1906 -- 1975 ) 8 May 1961 19 November 1962 7002560000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 195 days 1st Punjab Regiment 5 Chaudhuri, Jayanto Nath General Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri Padma Vibhushan, OBE ( 1908 -- 1983 ) 20 November 1962 7 June 1966 7003129500000000000 ♠ 3 years, 199 days 7th Light Cavalry 6 Kumaramangalam, Paramasiva Prabhakar General Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam Padma Vibhushan, DSO, MBE ( 1913 -- 2000 ) 8 June 1966 7 June 1969 7003109500000000000 ♠ 2 years, 364 days Regiment of Artillery 7 Manekshaw, Sam Field marshal Sam Manekshaw Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, MC ( 1914 -- 2008 ) 8 June 1969 15 January 1973 7003131700000000000 ♠ 3 years, 221 days 12th Frontier Force Regiment 8 Bewoor, Gopal Gurunath General Gopal Gurunath Bewoor PVSM ( 1916 -- 1989 ) 16 January 1973 31 May 1975 7002865000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 135 days 10th Baluch Regiment 9 Raina, Tapishwar Narain General Tapishwar Narain Raina Padma Bhushan, MVC ( 1921 -- 1980 ) 1 June 1975 31 May 1978 7003109500000000000 ♠ 2 years, 364 days Kumaon Regiment 10 Malhotra, Om Prakash General Om Prakash Malhotra PVSM ( 1922 -- 2015 ) 1 June 1978 31 May 1981 7003109500000000000 ♠ 2 years, 364 days Regiment of Artillery 11 Rao, K. General K.V. Krishna Rao PVSM ( 1923 -- 2016 ) 1 June 1981 31 July 1983 7002729000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 364 days Mahar Regiment 12 Vaidya, Arun Shridhar General Arun Shridhar Vaidya Padma Vibhushan, PVSM, MVC & Bar, AVSM ( 1926 -- 1986 ) 1 August 1983 31 January 1985 7002610000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 244 days 9th Deccan Horse 13 Sundarji, Krishnaswamy General Krishnaswamy Sundarji PVSM, ADC ( 1930 -- 1999 ) 1 February 1985 31 May 1988 7003121500000000000 ♠ 3 years, 120 days Mahar Regiment 14 Sharma, Vishwa Nath General Vishwa Nath Sharma PVSM, AVSM, ADC ( born 1930 ) 1 June 1988 30 June 1990 7002759000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 29 days 16th Light Cavalry 15 Rodrigues, Sunith Francis General Sunith Francis Rodrigues PVSM, VSM ( born 1933 ) 1 July 1990 30 June 1993 7003109500000000000 ♠ 2 years, 364 days Regiment of Artillery 16 Joshi, Bipin Chandra General Bipin Chandra Joshi PVSM, AVSM, ADC ( 1935 -- 1994 ) 1 July 1993 19 November 1994 7002506000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 141 days 64th Cavalry 17 Roychowdhury, Shankar General Shankar Roychowdhury PVSM, ADC ( born 1937 ) 20 November 1994 30 September 1997 7003104500000000000 ♠ 2 years, 314 days 20th Lancers 18 Chowdhury, Shankar Roy General Ved Prakash Malik PVSM, AVSM, ADC ( born 1939 ) 1 October 1997 30 September 2000 7003109500000000000 ♠ 2 years, 365 days Sikh Light Infantry 19 Padmanabhan, Sundararajan General Sundararajan Padmanabhan PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC ( born 1940 ) 1 October 2000 31 December 2002 7002821000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 91 days Regiment of Artillery 20 Vij, Nirmal Chander General Nirmal Chander Vij PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, ADC ( born 1943 ) 1 January 2003 31 January 2005 7002761000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 30 days Dogra Regiment 21 Vij, Nirmal Chander General Joginder Jaswant Singh PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC ( born 1945 ) 1 February 2005 30 September 2007 7002971000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 241 days Maratha Light Infantry 22 Kapoor, Deepak General Deepak Kapoor PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC ( born 1948 ) 1 October 2007 31 March 2010 7002912000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 181 days Regiment of Artillery 23 Singh, Vijay Kumar General Vijay Kumar Singh PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC ( born 1951 ) 1 April 2010 31 May 2012 7002791000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 60 days Rajput Regiment 24 Singh, Bikram General Bikram Singh PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC 1 June 2012 31 July 2014 7002790000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 60 days Sikh Light Infantry 25 Singh, Dalbir General Dalbir Singh PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC ( born 1954 ) 1 August 2014 31 December 2016 7002883000000000000 ♠ 2 years, 152 days 5 Gorkha Rifles 26 Rawat, Bipin General Bipin Rawat UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, ADC 31 December 2016 Incumbent 7002590000000000000 ♠ 1 year, 225 days 11 Gorkha Rifles See also Chief of the General Staff ( India ) - for those holding the preceding role before 1947 Chief of the Air Staff ( India ) Chief of the Naval Staff ( India ) Field marshal ( India ) Wikimedia Commons has media related to Indian Army Chief. Notes ^ Jump up to : Seconded from the British Army. References Jump up ^ `` Report of the 7th Central Pay Commission of India '' ( PDF ). Seventh Central Pay Commission, Government of India. Retrieved August 13, 2017. Jump up ^ Biswas, Shreya, ed. ( June 29, 2016 ). `` 7th Pay Commission cleared : What is the Pay Commission ? How does it affect salaries ? ''. India Today. Retrieved September 24, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Lt Gen Bipin Rawat to be the next Army chief - Times of India ''. The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Commanders - In - Chief ( Change in Designation ) Act, 1955 ''. VakilNo1.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` Chief of the Army Staff ''. Indian Army. Archived from the original on 16 May 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 06. Sources Khanduri, Chandra B. ( 2006 ). Thimayya : an amazing life. New Delhi : Knowledge World. p. 394. ISBN 978 - 81 - 87966 - 36 - 4. Retrieved 30 July 2010. Chief of the Army Staff ( India ) Commander - in - Chief, Indian Army ( 1947 -- 1955 ) Rob Lockhart * * Roy Bucher * * Kodandera M. Cariappa Rajendrasinhji Jadeja Chief of the Army Staff ( 1955 -- present ) Rajendrasinhji Jadeja S.M. Shrinagesh Kodandera Subayya Thimayya Pran Nath Thapar Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam Sam Manekshaw Gopal Gurunath Bewoor Tapishwar Narain Raina Om Prakash Malhotra K.V. Krishna Rao Arun Shridhar Vaidya Krishnaswamy Sundarji Vishwa Nath Sharma Sunith Francis Rodrigues Bipin Chandra Joshi Shankar Roychowdhury Ved Prakash Malik Sundararajan Padmanabhan Nirmal Chander Vij Joginder Jaswant Singh Deepak Kapoor Vijay Kumar Singh Bikram Singh Dalbir Singh Bipin Rawat ( * * Seconded from the British Army ) Military of India Indian Army Indian Navy Indian Air Force Leadership Chief of the Army Staff Chief of the Naval Staff Chief of the Air Staff Minister of Defence Topics History Academies Ranks and insignia Army Air Force Navy Special Forces Indian Peace Keeping Force Paramilitary forces Andaman and Nicobar Command Strategic Forces Command Nuclear Command Authority Ballistic missiles Weapons of mass destruction Defence Research and Development Organisation Ordnance Factories Board Territorial Army National Cadet Corps Wars and conflicts Indo - Pakistani wars 1947 1965 1971 Operation Polo Congo Crisis Operation Vijay Operation Trident Sino - Indian War Cho La incident Siachen conflict Blue Star Woodrose 1987 Sino - Indian skirmish Indian intervention in the Sri Lankan Civil War Operation Cactus Kargil War Kashmir insurgency Operation Parakram Piracy off the coast of Somalia Army Navy Air Force Chiefs of the army by country Chief of Army Staff Africa Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros DR Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea - Bissau Ivory Coast Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Former Biafra Bophuthatswana Ciskei British Egypt Ethiopian Empire Rhodesia Transkei Venda Zaire Americas Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Bahamas Barbados Belize Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Cuba Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Paraguay Peru Saint Kitts and Nevis Suriname Trinidad and Tobago United States Uruguay Venezuela Former Confederate States of America Asia Abkhazia Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia PR of China East Timor India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Republic of China ( Taiwan ) Tajikistan Thailand Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen Former Democratic Kampuchea Imperial Japan Mengjiang Manchukuo South Vietnam Europe Albania Austria Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Georgia Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Kosovo Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican Former Austria -- Hungary Independent State of Croatia Czechoslovakia Prussia Imperial Germany Nazi Germany East Germany Ottoman Empire Russian Empire Soviet Union Yugoslavia Oceania Australia Fiji New Zealand Papua New Guinea Tonga Vanuatu Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chief_of_the_Army_Staff_(India)&oldid=854161150 '' Categories : Chiefs of Army Staff ( India ) Army chiefs of staff Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from March 2014 Use Indian English from June 2016 All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English Talk Contents About Wikipedia বাংলা हिन्दी ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം Edit links This page was last edited on 9 August 2018, at 11 : 00 ( UTC ). 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Question: who is the chief of the army staff
Answer: General Bipin Rawat