Article Posted on : - Dec 31, 2013

NEW DELHI (PTI): Indian Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh on Monday took over as the new Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) to succeed IAF Chief NAK Browne, who is superannuating on Tuesday.

The baton of the CoSC was handed over to Gen. Singh by the outgoing IAF chief in a ceremony attended by Admiral DK Joshi and a host of senior military commanders from the three services.

Gen. Singh will have a brief tenure of around seven months as the CoSC as he is expected to retire in July this year.

The COSC is the senior-most officer of the three Services and is in-charge for looking after the joint issues related to them. The senior-most of the three Services chiefs takes over the post.

Gen. Singh was also speculated to be a frontrunner in the race for being appointed as the Permanent Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee -- a post which has been recommended by the Naresh Chandra Committee for reforms in the higher defence management.

The National Security Council Secretariat is expected to prepare proposals for the appointment of a four-star general to head the tri-services organisation.

However, the Defence Ministry has made it clear that it would like to create such a post only after discussions with other political parties and try to evolve a consensus on it.

The Defence Ministry is also of the view that there should be no haste in taking decision on a matter which will result in bringing about a major change in the military structures.