Army Chief General MM Naravane has assumed the charge as the chairperson of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, that comprises of the chiefs of the army, navy, and the air force, sources told The Quint.
Naravane, who took over as the 27th Chief of the Army Staff on 31 December 2019, previously served as Vice Chief of the Army and prior to that headed the Eastern Command of the Army which takes care of India's border with China.
General Naravane's promotion to the post comes in the wake of the death of former Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, who had passed away after a chopper carrying him and 13 others had crashed in Tamil Nadu last week.
Rawat had been appointed as the first chief of the defence staff in December 2019, marking the first time that India had a leader for its entire military force.
The CDS had simultaneously held a number of key posts – the secretary of the Department of Military Affairs that falls within the Defence Ministry, the principal advisor to the defence minister, and that of the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.
Meanwhile, the process of appointing a new CDS has started, sources told The Quint. Late General Rawat's successor to the post is expected to be announced by the government soon.
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