Ceremony to hand over baton of Chairman of CoSC cancelled at last minute

A pre-scheduled ceremony to hand over the baton of the Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee by outgoing Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat to Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh was cancelled on Friday, official sources said.

The Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) comprises chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and the senior-most member is appointed its chairperson.

The ceremony to hand over the baton of the chairman of the CoSC has been cancelled at the last minute on Friday, the sources said, adding it could take place on December 31.

There was indication that the ceremony has been cancelled as the government is likely to appoint the country's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in the next couple of days. The CDS will also act as the permanent chairman of the CoSC and Gen. Rawat is the front-runner for the post.

In a landmark decision, the Cabinet Committee on Security on Tuesday approved the creation of the CDS who will act as the principal military adviser to the defence minister on all matters relating to tri-services.

The ceremony to hand over the baton of chairman of COSC was scheduled as Gen Rawat is due for retirement from service on December 31.

The ceremony stands postponed to December 31, the sources said.

Gen. Rawat took charge as chairman of CoSC from the then IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa on September 27.

He had assumed charge as Chief of Army Staff on December 31, 2016. Before becoming Army Chief, he handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the LoC with Pakistan, the LAC with China and in the Northeast.