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 & Training and Strategy.

History 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). Lieutenant General Mohinder Singh 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, replacing the former position of Chief of the General Staff.

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 appointment 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.

In 2025, the appointment of Deputy Chief (Information Systems and Coordination) was amended to Deputy Chief (Information Systems and Training)

Order of Precedence 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. Since they should not draw equivalent or more salary than the next higher level, the remuneration is capped at ₹2,24,000.

Current organisation Currently, there are three DCOAS at Army HQ: Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance) Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Information Systems and Training) Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy)

Appointees Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (1959-65) No.RankNameDecorationsAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionReferences1Lieutenant GeneralMohinder Singh Wadalia27 January 195915 November 1964Kumaon Regiment2Paramasiva Prabhakar KumaramangalamDSO, MBE16 November 196415 January 1965Regiment of Artillery

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (1965-1993) No.RankNameDecorationsAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionReferences3Lieutenant GeneralMoti SagarPVSM15 January 19658 May 19654th Gorkha Rifles4Kunhiraman Palat CandethPVSM1 October 19656 June 1966Regiment of Artillery5Jagjit Singh AuroraPVSM6 June 196627 April 19672nd Punjab Regiment6Gopal Gurunath BewoorPVSM, PB27 April 19674 July 196910th Baluch Regiment7Reginald Stephen NoronhaPVSM, MC4 July 19695 September 1973Madras Regiment8S. L. MenezesPVSM, SC5 September 197320 March 1978The Grenadiers9K. V. Krishna RaoPVSM20 March 197825 May 1979Mahar Regiment10H. C. DuttaPVSM25 May 197923 August 19818th Gorkha Rifles11Krishnaswamy SundarjiPVSM23 August 19811 January 1983Mahar Regiment12Hriday KaulPVSM, AVSM16 January 1983February 19852nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)13C.N. SomannaPVSMFebruary 19851 September 1986Brigade of the Guards14Anand SarupPVSM, MVC8 September 198631 March 19878th Gorkha Rifles15Kunwar Mahendra SinghPVSM5 April 198730 November 1987Garhwal Rifles16Lakshman Singh RawatAVSM30 November 198730 November 198811th Gorkha Rifles17R.N. MahajanPVSM, VSMDecember 19881 August 1991Kumaon Regiment18R. SharmaAVSM22 August 1991September 19932nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)

Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance) 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.

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Planning and Systems)

RankNameDecorationsAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionReferencesLieutenant GeneralSushil Kumar PillaiPVSMMay 1988Assam RegimentPrakash Mani TripathiPVSM, AVSM1992September 199363rd CavalryD.K. KhannaSeptember 199331 August 1994Kumaon RegimentS.S. SethiAVSM1 September 1994September 1996Regiment of ArtilleryN.S. MalikPVSMSeptember 199628 February 19984th Horse (Hodson's Horse)Shamsher Singh MehtaPVSM, AVSM**, VSMMarch 199831 March 200163rd CavalryArjun Singh KhannaPVSM, AVSM, VrC1 April 200131 August 2002Regiment of ArtilleryAshok ChakiPVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM1 September 20021 January 20044th Gorkha RiflesP.P.S. BhandariPVSM, AVSM 1 January 200431 January 20064th Horse (Hodson's Horse)Gurditar SinghPVSM, AVSM1 February 2006Armoured CorpsZameer Uddin ShahPVSM, SM, VSM 1 October 2006 31 August 2008Regiment of ArtilleryManbir Singh DadwalPVSM, AVSM**, VSMAugust 2008Dogra RegimentJ.P. SinghPVSM, AVSMMarch 2010September 2011Armoured CorpsNarendra SinghPVSM, AVSMSeptember 20112013Maratha Light InfantryC.A. KrishnanPVSM, UYSM, AVSM 201420154th Gorkha RiflesSubrata SahaPVSM, UYSM, YSM, VSM*31 March 2017Assam RegimentShravan Kumar PatyalPVSM, UYSM, SM 31 March 2017May 20184th Gorkha RiflesSudarshan Srikant HasabnisPVSM, VSMJune 2018December 2020Corps of Engineers

Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance) RankNamePhotoDecorationsAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionReferencesLieutenant GeneralShantanu DayalUYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM1 January 202131 October 2022Garhwal RiflesJB Chaudhari PVSM, SM, VSM1 November 202231 October 2024Brigade of the GuardsRahul R SinghAVSM, VSM1 November 202430 September 2026Regiment of ArtilleryShamsher Singh VirkAVSM, SM1 October 2026IncumbentGarhwal Rifles

Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Information Systems and Training) The DG Signals, DG Information Systems, DG Integrated Training and DG Staff Duty report to this office.

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Training and Coordination) RankNameDecorationsAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionReferencesLieutenant GeneralSatish NambiarPVSM, AVSM, VrC199331 August 1994Maratha Light InfantryK.L. D'SouzaPVSM, AVSM1 September 1994Regiment of ArtilleryM.R. SharmaPVSM, VSM19981999Dogra RegimentSurinder Kumar JetleyPVSM, AVSM, SMFebruary 1999May 2000Central India HorseR.K. SawhneyPVSM, AVSMJune 2000Jammu and Kashmir RiflesR.S. KadyanPVSM, AVSM, VSM2002Rajputana RiflesJ.B.S. YadavaPVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM1 September 200228 February 200511th Gorkha Rifles

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Information Systems and Training) RankNameDecorationsAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionReferencesLieutenant GeneralMohinder PuriPVSM, UYSM28 February 200530 April 20063rd Gorkha RiflesSusheel GuptaAVSM, YSM1 May 2006Jammu and Kashmir RiflesSamer Pal Singh DhillonPVSM, AVSM, VSM20082009Regiment of ArtilleryVirender Singh TonkPVSM, AVSM2010Rajput RegimentRamesh HalagaliPVSM, AVSM, SM February 2012January 2013Sikh Light InfantryDS ThakurJanuary 2013Maratha Light InfantryJai Prakash NehraPVSM, AVSM**October 2014Madras RegimentGurmit SinghPVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSMOctober 2014January 2016Assam RegimentJagbir Singh Cheema PVSM, AVSM, VSM1 February 2017November 2017Sikh RegimentN.P.S. HiraPVSM, AVSM, SM14 March 2016Jan 2017Sikh Light InfantryRanbir Singh PVSM, AVSM**, YSM, SMDec 2017June 2018Dogra RegimentIqroop Singh GhumanPVSM, AVSMJuly 201830 September 2019Brigade of the GuardsSaranjit SinghPVSM, UYSM, YSM1 October 201931 August 2020Sikh Light Infantry

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Information Systems and Coordination) RankNameDecorationsAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionReferencesLieutenant GeneralAmardeep Singh BhinderAVSM, VSM 1 September 202031 March 20219th Deccan Horse Upendra DwivediAVSM10 April 202131 January 2022Jammu and Kashmir Rifles C.B. PonnappaAVSM, VSM16 February 202231 March 2022Mahar RegimentRavin KhoslaUYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM5 April 202231 March 20235th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) Rakesh KapoorAVSM, VSM9 June 202330 November 202563rd Cavalry

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Information Systems and Training) RankNamePhotoDecorationsAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionReferencesLieutenant General Rakesh KapoorAVSM, VSM9 June 202330 November 202563rd Cavalry Vipul Shinghal AVSM, SM1 December 2025Incumbent51 Armoured Regiment

Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy) The Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Director General Military Intelligence (DGMI), DG Operation Logistics and DG Information Warfare report to this office. RankNamePhotoDecorationsAppointment dateLeft officeRegiment of CommissionReferencesLieutenant GeneralParamjit Singh Sangha UYSM, AVSM, SMFebruary 202130 June 2021Parachute Regiment Sanjeev Kumar Sharma AVSM, YSM1 July 202130 June 2022Rajputana Rifles M. V. Suchindra KumarAVSM, YSM**, VSM1 July 202228 February 2023Assam RegimentTarun Kumar AichPVSM, AVSM15 March 202331 October 2024 Madras RegimentPratik SharmaPVSM, AVSM, SM1 November 202430 April 2025Madras RegimentRajiv GhaiSYSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM***9 June 2025IncumbentKumaon Regiment

See also Chief of the Army Staff Vice Chief of the Army Staff Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff Deputy Chief of the Air Staff

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