Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (India) explained

Post:Deputy Chief
Body:the Naval Staff
Flag:Vice Admiral ensign of Indian Navy.svg
Flagborder:yes
Flagcaption:Flag of the Vice Admiral
Incumbent:Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, AVSM, VSM
Incumbentsince:1 October 2023
Type:Principal Staff Officer
Status:3rd highest ranking naval officer
Abbreviation:DCNS
Reports To:Chief of the Naval Staff
Seat:Naval Headquarters, New Delhi

The Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS) is a senior appointment in the Indian Navy. The DCNS is a PSO (Principal Staff Officer) at Naval Headquarters in New Delhi.[1] The office is held by a Three star officer in the rank of Vice Admiral. The current DCNS is Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti who took over Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru on 1 October 2023.

History

At the time of independence of India on 15 August 1947, the Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Navy was the de facto Second-in-command. The appointment was held by an officer of the rank of Commodore. In 1949, the Chief of Staff was also made Deputy Commander-in-Chief RIN.[2] In 1955, the post was re-designated Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.[3] In 1959, the post was upgraded to Two-star rank. In 1967, this post was re-designated to Vice Chief of the Naval Staff and then Rear Admiral Sourendra Nath Kohli took over as the first VCNS.[4]

From 1972

The appointment was brought back in 1972 in the rank of Rear Admiral. The appointment of Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (ACNS) was redesignated DCNS. The DCNS had the directorates of Operations, Intelligence, Signals, Air Staff, Air Materiel and Submarines under him.[5] In 1984, the post was upgraded to three-star rank.[6]

Current organisation

The DCNS heads the Staff Branch-II at the Naval Headquarters. The following Director General/Assistant Principal Staff Officers report into the DCNS.[7]

Order of precedence

The DCNS ranks at No. 24 on the Indian order of precedence, along with Lieutenant Generals of the Indian Army and Air Marshals of the Indian Air Force.[8] The DCNS is in the HAG+ pay scale (pay level 16), and draws salary depending on the years in service. However, since they should not draw equivalent or more than the next higher level, the remuneration is capped at ₹224,000.[9] [10]

Deputy Chiefs of Naval Staff

1947-1967

S.No. NameAssumed officeLeft officeNotes
Chief of Staff to Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Navy
1August 1947March 1948Seconded from the Royal Navy. Killed in an air crash.[11]
Commodore Ajitendu ChakravertiMarch 1948November 1948Officiating. First Indian officer to be promoted to Commodore. Later Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet.[12]
2November 1948February 1949Seconded from the Royal Navy.[13]
Deputy Commander-in-Chief
2Commodore Harold Drew February 1949February 1952Seconded from the Royal Navy.[14]
3Commodore Godfrey FrenchFebruary 1952March 1954Seconded from the Royal Navy.[15] [16]
4Commodore Ram Dass KatariMarch 1954March 1955Later took over as the first Indian Chief of the Naval Staff.[17]
Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff
4Commodore Ram Dass KatariApril 1955March 1956Later took over as the first Indian Chief of the Naval Staff.[18]
5Commodore Ajitendu ChakravertiMarch 1956April 1958First Indian officer to be promoted to Commodore. Later Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet.[19]
6Rear Admiral Adhar Kumar ChatterjiApril 1958May 1962Later Chief of the Naval Staff.[20]
7May 1962December 1964Later Chief of the Naval Staff.[21]
8Rear Admiral Sourendra Nath KohliDecember 1964May 1967Later Chief of the Naval Staff.

1973-present

S.No. NameAssumed officeLeft officeNotes
1Rear Admiral Swaraj Parkash (first tenure)March 1973November 1973Later Director General of the Indian Coast Guard.[22]
2Rear Admiral N. P. Datta (first tenure)November 1973April 1974[23]
3Rear Admiral Swaraj Parkash (second tenure)April 1974March 1976[24]
4Vice Admiral N. P. Datta (second tenure)March 1976November 1977[25] [26]
5November 1977February 1978[27]
6Rear Admiral D. S. Paintal February 1978October 1980[28]
74 October 198020 February 1982Later Chief of the Naval Staff.[29]
8Vice Admiral Subimal Mookerjee 20 February 198227 June 1983[30]
927 June 198328 November 1984[31]
10Vice Admiral S. Jain 2 February 198520 February 1986[32] [33]
1120 February 198628 November 1987Later Chief of the Naval Staff.[34]
12Vice Admiral R. P. Sawhney 28 November 198725 February 1989First Fortress Commander, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command.[35] [36]
1310 March 198928 December 1990Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command.[37]
14Vice Admiral B. Guha 28 December 199010 November 1992[38]
1510 November 199231 December 1994Later Chief of the Naval Staff.[39] [40]
16Vice Admiral Avnish Rai Tandon 1 January 199524 April 1996[41]
1724 April 199630 October 1996Later Chief of the Naval Staff.[42]
18Vice Admiral Vinod Pasricha30 October 199628 February 1998[43] [44]
19Vice Admiral Madanjit SinghMarch 1998March 1999[45]
20Vice Admiral Harinder SinghMarch 1999November 2000[46]
21Vice Admiral Raman Puri24 November 2000January 2002[47] [48]
22Vice Admiral S. V. GopalachariJanuary 2002August 2004[49]
23August 200427 September 2005Later Chief of the Naval Staff.[50]
2427 September 200524 July 2006Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command.[51]
25Vice Admiral Raman P. Suthan 24 July 200626 April 2007[52] [53]
26Vice Admiral Anup Singh26 April 200730 November 2009Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command[54]
2730 November 200916 September 2011Later Chief of the Naval Staff.[55]
2816 September 201129 May 2012Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command.[56]
2929 May 201231 May 2014Later Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command.[57]
3031 May 201431 October 2015[58]
3131 October 20156 June 2016Later Chief of the Naval Staff.[59]
326 June 201630 January 2019Later Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.[60]
333 January 201931 May 2021[61]
341 June 202131 March 2022[62]
351 April 202230 September 2023[63]
361 October 2023Incumbent[64]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Principal Staff Officers Indian Navy . www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  2. Web site: NHQ REORGANISATION . pibarchive.nic.in . 3 February 1949.
  3. Book: Nanda . S M . The man who bombed Karachi : a memoir . October 2015 . HarperCollins Publishers India . 978-8172235628 . 113.
  4. Web site: Admiral Kohli First Naval Vice-Chief. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 11 May 1967. 1 February 2020.
  5. Web site: Naval Headquarters Reorganised. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 9 March 1973. 4 July 2020.
  6. Book: [978-8170622666 Transition to eminence : the Indian Navy 1976-1990 ]. 2005 . Published by Principal Director of Administration, Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy) in association with Lancer Publishers . 81-7062-266-2 .
  7. Web site: Staff Branch-II Indian Navy . www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  8. Web site: Office of the President of India . . 2010-08-05 . 1979-08-26 . President's Secretariat.
  9. Web site: http://7cpc.india.gov.in/pdf/sevencpcreport.pdf . https://web.archive.org/web/20151120092637/http://7cpc.india.gov.in/pdf/sevencpcreport.pdf . dead . 20 November 2015 . 20 November 2015.
  10. Web site: DelhiJune 29 . India Today Web Desk New . June 29 . India Today Web Desk New . Ist . India Today Web Desk New . 7th Pay Commission cleared: What is the Pay Commission? How does it affect salaries? . India Today . en.
  11. Web site: DEATH OF COMMODORE NOTT . pibarchive.nic.in . 3 April 1948.
  12. Web site: PIB (DEFENCE WING) . pibarchive.nic.in . 8 May 1948.
  13. Web site: PIB (DEFENCE WING) . pibarchive.nic.in . 6 November 1948.
  14. Web site: NEW CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE NAVY . pibarchive.nic.in . 7 January 1952.
  15. Web site: NEW CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE NAVY . pibarchive.nic.in . 7 January 1952.
  16. Web site: Press Information Bureau (Defence Wing). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 22 March 1954. 12 June 2021.
  17. Web site: TWO SENIOR NAVAL OFFICERS PROMOTED COMMODORES. pibarchive.nic.in . 5 December 1953.
  18. Web site: TWO SENIOR NAVAL OFFICERS PROMOTED COMMODORES. pibarchive.nic.in . 5 December 1953.
  19. Web site: TWO SENIOR NAVAL OFFICERS PROMOTED COMMODORES. pibarchive.nic.in . 24 December 1955.
  20. Web site: NEW DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF . pibarchive.nic.in . 14 May 1962.
  21. Web site: NEW DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF . pibarchive.nic.in . 14 May 1962.
  22. Web site: Naval Appointments. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 2 November 1973. 4 July 2020.
  23. Web site: Vice Admiral Datta to Head Mazagaon Dock Limited. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 2 November 1977. 6 July 2020.
  24. Web site: REAR ADMIRAL DATTA TO BE FLAG OFFICER COMMANDING WESTERN FLEET . archive.pib.gov.in . 20 April 1974.
  25. Web site: Rear Admiral Datta Promoted. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 8 September 1977. 28 December 2020.
  26. Web site: Vice Admiral Datta to Head Mazagaon Dock Limited. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 2 November 1977. 28 December 2020.
  27. Web site: ADMIRAL SCHUNKER TO HEAD EASTERN NAVAL COMMAND . archive.pib.gov.in . 2 February 1978.
  28. Web site: Senior Naval Appointments. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 13 February 1978. 6 July 2020.
  29. Web site: New Deputy Chief for the Navy. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 4 October 1980. 6 July 2020.
  30. Web site: Admiral Mookerjee Appointed Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 20 February 1982. 6 July 2020.
  31. Web site: Admiral Hiranandani New Deputy Chief. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 26 June 1983. 6 July 2020.
  32. Web site: Vice Admiral Jain Appointed New Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 2 February 1985. 5 July 2020.
  33. Web site: Vice Admiral Jain Takes Over Western Naval Command. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 26 February 1986. 5 July 2020.
  34. Web site: New Deputy Chief at Naval Headquarters. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 20 February 1986. 5 July 2020.
  35. Web site: New Vice Chief of Navy, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command and Deputy Chief of Navy Announced. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 28 November 1987. 5 July 2020.
  36. Web site: New Vice Chief, FOC-in-C (East) and FOC-in-C (South) for Navy. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 20 February 1989. 5 July 2020.
  37. Web site: Vice-Admiral Raju Takes Over as Deputy Chief of Navy. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 10 March 1989. 5 July 2020.
  38. Web site: New Vice Chief, Flag Officer Commanders-in-Chief and Deputy Chief for Indian Navy. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 28 December 1990. 5 July 2020.
  39. Web site: New Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 10 November 1992. 5 July 2020.
  40. Web site: Vice-Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat Takes Over as FOC-in-C, West. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 31 December 1994. 5 July 2020.
  41. Web site: Top Appointments in the Indian Navy. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 5 January 1995. 5 July 2020.
  42. Web site: New Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 24 April 1996. 5 July 2020.
  43. Web site: New Naval Appointments Announced. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 30 October 1996. 5 July 2020.
  44. Web site: Top Naval Appointments Announced By the Government. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 26 February 1998. 5 July 2020.
  45. News: Mandanjit Singh appointed flag office commander. Zee News. 21 May 2002.
  46. News: Admiral Bhagwat Sacked. Tribune (Chandigarh). 30 December 1998.
  47. Web site: Appointments: Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 24 November 2000. 4 July 2020.
  48. News: Vice Admiral Raman Puri appointed C-in-C, Eastern Naval command. Zee News. 12 January 2002.
  49. News: Navy shifts officer on health grounds. Times of India. 30 July 2004.
  50. News: Vice Admiral Sureesh Mehta, takes over as Foc-In-C East . Press Information Bureau of India - Archive . 1 October 2005.
  51. News: New Deputy Chief for the Navy . Press Information Bureau of India - Archive . 27 September 2005.
  52. News: Senior Naval Appointments Announced . Press Information Bureau of India - Archive . 19 March 2008.
  53. News: Vice Admiral Raman P Suthan, AVSM VSM appointed Foc-in-C East . Press Information Bureau of India - Archive . 19 April 2007.
  54. News: Vice Admiral Anup Singh to take over as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff . Press Information Bureau of India - Archive . 23 April 2007.
  55. News: Vice Admiral RK Dhowan takes charge as new Deputy Chief of Naval Staff . Press Information Bureau of India - Archive . 30 November 2009.
  56. News: Appointments . Sainik Samachar - Archive . 16 September 2011.
  57. News: Vice Admiral Pradeep K Chatterjee takes over as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff - First ever Submariner Deputy Chief of Naval Staff . Press Information Bureau of India - Archive . 29 May 2012.
  58. Web site: Vice Admiral RK Pattanaik is new DCNS . Indian Navy . 4 July 2020 . 31 May 2014.
  59. Web site: Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, AVSM,assumed charge as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff . Indian Navy . 4 July 2020 . 31 October 2015.
  60. Web site: Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, AVSM, VSM assumes charge as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff . Indian Navy . 4 July 2020 . 6 June 2016.
  61. Web site: Vice Admiral MS Pawar, AVSM, VSM Assumes Charge as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS) . Indian Navy . 4 July 2020 . 30 January 2019.
  62. Web site: Big Reshuffle in Naval Headquarters. Bharat Shakti. 2021-05-29.
  63. Web site: 2022-04-01 . Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru assumes charge as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff . 2022-04-02 . ThePrint . en-US.
  64. Web site: VICE ADMIRAL TARUN SOBTI, AVSM, VSM ASSUMED CHARGE AS DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF . pib.gov.in . 1 October 2023.