New Delhi: Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane has taken the charge as India’s new Chief of Staff Committee (CoSC) that comprises all three defence services chiefs.
The development comes a week after the demise of the Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat who died in a helicopter crash on December 8.
Gen Naravane has been chosen for the post as he is the senior-most among the three service chiefs. The Indian Air Force Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari and Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar had taken charge of their posts on September 30 and November 30, respectively.
Before the post of Chief of Defence Staff was created in 2019, the senior-most among the three services Chiefs used to be the chairman of the CoSC.
After CDS General Rawat’s demise, the post was left vacant.
After taking up the charge, General Naravane held a telephonic conversation with Lt Gen Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Mutair, the Commander of Royal Saudi Armed Forces, reported PTI.
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According to PTI, the Chiefs of Staff Committee met on Tuesday and condoled the death of General Rawat, his wife, Madhulika Rawat, and 11 other personnel who died in the chopper crash on December 8. And General Naravane took charge of the post on Wednesday.
Late CDS General Rawat’s helicopter crashed in the Coonoor region of Tail Nadu last week and claimed the lives of 13 more. The lone survivor of the crash, Group Captain Varun Singh, was being treated in the military hospital in Bengaluru. Captain Singh succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday.