India's defence policy aims at
promoting and sustaining durable peace in the sub-continent and equipping the
defence forces adequately to safeguard aggression.
The Supreme Command of the armed
forces is vested in the President of India. The responsibility for national
defence, rests with the Cabinet. The Defence Minister is responsible to Parliament
for all matters concerning defence. Administrative and operational control of
the armed forces is exercised by the Ministry of Defence and the three services
headquarters.
The three services function under their respective Chiefs of Staff. The Chiefs
of Staff are;
Recently a committee was formed
for the smooth functioning of the three services together called 'Chiefs of
Staff Committee'. The senior most Chiefs of Staff among the three services will
be the Chairman of the Committee.
|
|
|
Name
|
Tenure
|
|
General Maharaj Rajendra Sinhji
|
1 April 1955-14 May 1955
|
|
General S.M.Srinagesh
|
15 May 1955-7 May 1957
|
|
LGeneral K.S. Thimayya
|
8 May 1957-7 May 1961
|
|
General R.N. Thapar
|
8 May 1961-19 November 1962
|
|
General J.N. Choudhuri
|
20 November 1962-7 June 1966
|
|
General P.P. Kumaramangalam
|
8 June 1966-7 June 1969
|
|
General S.H.F.J. Manekshaw
|
8 June 1969-31 December 1972
|
|
Field Marshal S.H.F.J. Manekshaw
|
1 January 1973-14 January 1973
|
|
General G.G.Bewoor
|
15 January 1973-31 May 1975
|
|
General T.N. Raina
|
1 June 1975-31 May 1978
|
|
General O.P. Malhotra
|
1 June 1978-31 May 1981
|
|
General K.V.Krishna Rao
|
1 June 1981-31 July 1983
|
|
General A.S.Vaidya
|
1 August 1983-31 January 1986
|
|
General K.Sunderji
|
1 February 1986-30 April 1988
|
|
General V.N.Sharma
|
1 May 1988-30 June 1990
|
|
General S.F.Rodrigues
|
1 July 1990-30 June 1993
|
|
General B.C.Joshi
|
1 July 1993-18 November 1994
|
|
General S.Roychowdhury
|
22 November 1994-30 September 1997
|
|
General V.P.Malik
|
1 October 1997-30 September 2000
|
|
General S. Padmanabhan
|
1 October 2000- 31December 2002.
|
|
General N.C.Vij
|
31 December 2002 - 31 January 2005
|
|
|
31 January 2005 - September 29, 2007
|
|
General Deepak Kapoor
|
September 30, 2007 - till date
|
| Top
|
| Chiefs
of Naval Staff |
| Name |
Tenure |
| Vice Admiral R.D. Katari |
22 April 1958-4 June 1962 |
| Vice Admiral B.S.Soman |
5 June 1962-3 March 1966 |
| Admiral A.K.Chatterjee |
4 March 1966-27 February 1970 |
| Admiral S.M. Nanda |
1 March 1970-28 February 1973
|
| Admiral S.N. Kohli |
1 March 1973-28 February 1976 |
| Admiral J.L. Cursetji |
1 March 1976-28 February 1979 |
| Admiral R.L. Pereira |
1March 1979-28 February 1982 |
| Admiral O.S. Dawson |
1March 1982-30 November 1984
|
| Admiral R.H. Tahiliani |
1 December1984-30 November
1987 |
| Admiral J.G. Nadkarni |
1 December1987-30 November
1990 |
| Admiral Ramdas |
1 December1990-30 September
1993 |
| Admiral V.S. Shekhawat |
1 October1993-30 September
1996 |
| Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat |
1 October 1996-30 December
1998 |
| Admiral Sushil Kumar S |
30 December 1998 - 29 December
2001 |
| Admiral Madhvendra Singh |
29 December 2001- 31 July 2004 |
Admiral Arun Prakash |
31 July 2004- 31 Oct 2006 |
| Admiral Sureesh Mehta |
31 Oct 2006- till date |
| First
Ever Marshal of the IAF |
|
Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh |
25 January
2002- |
|
| Name |
Tenure |
| Air Marshal Sir Thomas Elmhirst |
15 August 1947-21 February 1950 |
| Air Marshal Sir Ronald Lvelaw
Chapman |
22 February 1950-9 December
1951 |
| Air Marshal Sir Gerald Gibbs
|
10 December 1951-31 March 1954 |
| Air Marshal S. Mukherjee |
1 April 1954-8 November 1960
|
| Air Marshal A.M.Engineer |
1 December 1960-31 July 1964 |
| Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh
|
1 August1964-15 July 1969 |
| Air Chief Marshal P.C. Lal
|
16 July 1969-15 January 1973 |
| Air Chief Marshal O.P. Mehra
|
16 January 1973-31 January
1976 |
| Air Chief Marshal H. Moolgavkar |
1 February 1976-31 August 1978 |
| Air Chief Marshal I.H.Latif
|
1 December 1978-31 August 1981 |
| Air Chief Marshal Dilbagh
Singh |
1 September 1981-3 September
1984 |
| Air Chief Marshal L.M. Katre |
4 September 1984-1 July 1985
|
| Air Chief Marshal D.A. La
Fontaine |
3 July 1985-31 July 1988 |
| Air Chief Marshal S.K. Mehra
|
1 August 1988-31 July 1991
|
| Air Chief Marshal N.C. Suri
|
1 August 1991-31 July 1993 |
| Air Chief Marshal S.K. Kaul
|
1 August 1993-31 December 1995
|
| Air Chief Marshal S.K. Sareen
|
31 December 1995-31 December
1998 |
| Air Chief Marshal A.Y. Tipnis |
1 January 1999- 31 December
2001 |
| Air Chief Marshal Srinivasapuram
Krishna Swamy |
31 December 2001 - 1 January
2005 |
Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi |
1 January 2005 - 2007 |
| Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major |
2007 - till date |
