Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee

The Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (Chairman COSC) is a position in the Indian Armed Forces, usually held by a four-star officer serving as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian military. The position holder chairs the Chiefs of Staff Committee, and serves as the principal adviser to the prime minister and Minister of Defence. The position is not a statutory office but rather a title held by the senior most serving military officer of India. Until 2020, the chairmanship of the COSC was held in rotation by the senior-most service chief until his retirement, but this arrangement was found to be unsatisfactory. Thus, when the post of the CDS was established, its holder was also made the permanent Chairman COSC.

In the absence of the CDS, a temporary Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee may be appointed. On 15 December 2021, after the demise of General Bipin Rawat, the then Chief of Defence Staff on 8 December in a plane crash, General Manoj Mukund Naravane was appointed Chairman COSC. He remained in office until his retirement on 30 April 2022, following which the position fell vacant. After four months, Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan (Retired) was appointed the CDS and permanent Chairman, COSC on 28 September.