NEW DELHI: Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat will take over as the new Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee on Friday, succeeding Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, who retires from service on September 30.
Rawat, the first Army Chief to hold the post since Gen Bikram Singh (2013-14), could possibly be the last in the post as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that his government will go ahead and appoint a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), who will replace the present tri-service committee.
The Army chief is also slated to retire at the end of 2019.
Dhanoa took over the post on June 1 this year, succeeding outgoing Navy chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba.