General Manoj Mukund Naravane, chief of the army staff, has assumed charge as chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee that comprises the three service chiefs, people familiar with the development said on Wednesday.
The post fell vacant following Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat's death in the Indian Air Force helicopter crash on December 8.
General Naravane has been given charge as the chairman of the committee as he is the senior-most among the three service chiefs.
Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari and Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar had taken over their respective positions on September 30 and November 30.
Before the creation of the post of the Chief of Defence Staff, the senior-most among the three service chiefs used to be the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.
The Chiefs of Staff Committee met on Tuesday and condoled the deaths of General Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 11 armed forces personnel.
Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor of the crash, succumbed to injuries on Wednesday at a military hospital in Bengaluru.
