Chief of the Naval Staff (India)


The Chief of the Naval Staff is the commander and the highest-ranking officer in the Indian Navy. The position is abbreviated CNS in Indian Navy cables and communication, and is always held by a full Admiral.
The current CNS is Admiral Karambir Singh. The 24th Navy Chief, he took over from Admiral Sunil Lanba, who retired on 31 May 2019 after four decades of service from the navy.

Office of the Chief of the Naval Staff

At Independence, the head of the Navy was designated the "Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Navy." On 21 June 1948, the title of "Chief of the Naval Staff" was added, with a re-designation to "Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Navy".
The "Royal" designation was dropped when India became a republic on 26 January 1950. Thus re-designating the head of Indian Navy to "Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy".
The Commanders-In-Chief Act, 1955 re-designated the head of Indian Navy to "Chief of Naval Staff". The position is headed by both two-star rank Rear Admiral and three-star rank Vice Admiral. However since 1966, the CNS has always been a full Admiral.
Appointments to the office are made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. The Chief of the Naval Staff generally reaches superannuation upon serving three years or at the age of 62, whichever is earlier.

Appointees

The following tables chronicle the appointees to the office of the Chief of the Naval Staff.

Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy (1950-1955)

Chief of the Naval Staff (1955–present)