Government appoints Lt Gen N. S. Raja Subramani (Retd) as CDS and Vice Adm Krishna Swaminathan as Chief of the Naval Staff
On 9 May 2026 the Government appointed Lt Gen N. S. Raja Subramani (Retd) as the next Chief of Defence Staff, succeeding Gen Anil Chauhan, and Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as the next Chief of the Naval Staff, succeeding Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi.
Summary
Lt Gen N. S. Raja Subramani (Retd) was appointed on 9 May 2026 as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), who also functions as Secretary, Department of Military Affairs; Gen Anil Chauhan's tenure as CDS ends on 30 May 2026. Commissioned into 8 Garhwal Rifles on 14 December 1985, Subramani has been Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat since 1 September 2025, and earlier served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff (1 July 2024 to 31 July 2025) and GOC-in-C Central Command. The same day Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command since 31 July 2025, was appointed the next Chief of the Naval Staff, as Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi retires on 31 May 2026. Swaminathan was commissioned on 1 July 1987, is a Communication and Electronic Warfare specialist, and has commanded ships including INS Vikramaditya.
Key facts
- CDS
- Lt Gen N. S. Raja Subramani (Retd); also Secretary, DMA; succeeds Gen Anil Chauhan (tenure ends 30 May 2026)
- Subramani
- 8 Garhwal Rifles, 14 Dec 1985; Military Adviser NSCS since 1 Sep 2025; VCOAS 2024–25; GOC-in-C Central Command
- CNS
- Vice Adm Krishna Swaminathan; succeeds Adm Dinesh Kumar Tripathi (retires 31 May 2026)
- Swaminathan
- Commissioned 1 July 1987; Communication & EW specialist; FOC-in-C Western Naval Command since 31 July 2025
- Commands
- INS Vidyut, Vinash, Kulish, Mysore, Vikramaditya
Practice MCQs 4 questions
Who was appointed as the next Chief of Defence Staff on 9 May 2026?
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Correct answer: C — Lt Gen N. S. Raja Subramani (Retd)
Lt Gen N. S. Raja Subramani (Retd) was appointed CDS, succeeding Gen Anil Chauhan, whose tenure ends on 30 May 2026.
At the time of his appointment as the next Chief of the Naval Staff in May 2026, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan was heading which command?
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Correct answer: B — Western Naval Command
Vice Adm Krishna Swaminathan has been Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command since 31 July 2025.
Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, named the next Navy Chief in May 2026, is a specialist in which field?
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Correct answer: D — Communication and Electronic Warfare
Commissioned on 1 July 1987, he is a Communication and Electronic Warfare specialist.
Consider the following statements about the Chief of Defence Staff appointed in May 2026: 1. The Chief of Defence Staff also functions as Secretary, Department of Military Affairs. 2. Lt Gen N. S. Raja Subramani was commissioned into the 8 Garhwal Rifles. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. The CDS also functions as Secretary, DMA, and Subramani was commissioned into 8 Garhwal Rifles on 14 December 1985.