New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government on Thursday followed the seniority principle in the Air Force by appointing Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria as the next chief of Indian Air Force (IAF).
In both the Army and the Navy, senior-most officers in contention for the post of chiefs were superseded by their junior officers.
Air Marshal Bhadauria was supposed to retire on the same day as current Air Force Chief B.S. Dhanoa, on 30 September 2019. Now, he will have an additional tenure of two-years as the Armed Forces’ chiefs can serve for three years or up to the age of 62, whichever is earlier.
There is a past precedent to this. When Air Marshal N.C. Suri had become the chief of Air Staff after Air Chief Marshal S.K. Mehra, though both were to retire on the same day, which was 31 July 1991.
“The government has decided to appoint Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria, current Vice-chief of Air Staff, as the next chief of the Air Staff after the retirement of Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa on 30 September 2019,” said a government statement.
Gen. Bipin Rawat was appointed by the Modi government as Army chief in December 2016, by superseding two officers senior to him. In second supersession, Admiral Karambir Singh was appointed as Navy chief this year by superseding Vice Admiral Bimal Verma, who was around six months senior to him.
