View source for Commandant of the Defence Services Staff College

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{{Infobox official post
| post                     = Commandant
| body                     = the<br>[[Defence Services Staff College]]
| native_name              = 
| flag                     = 
| flagsize                 = 
| flagborder               = 
| flagcaption              = 
| insignia                 = The Owl - The logo of DSSC, Wellington.png
| insigniasize             = 200px
| insigniacaption          = Crest of the College 
| image                    = 
| imagesize                = 
| alt                      = 
| incumbent                = [[Lieutenant general (India)|Lieutenant General]]<br/> S Mohan <br/> {{Post-nominals|size=75%|country=IND|AVSM|SM|VSM}}
| incumbentsince           =  
| type                     = Military
| status                   = Active
| department               = 
| style                    = 
| member_of                = 
| reports_to               = 
| residence                = 
| seat                     = 
| nominator                = 
| appointer                = 
| appointer_qualified      = 
| termlength               = 
| termlength_qualified     = 
| constituting_instrument  = 
| precursor                = 
| formation                = {{Start date and age|15 August 1947}}
| first                    = [[Brigadier (India)|Brigadier]] S D Verma
| abolished                = 
| succession               = 
| abbreviation             = 
| unofficial_names         = 
| deputy                   = 
| salary                   = 
| website                  = {{url|www.dssc.gov.in}}
}}
The '''Commandant of the Defence Services Staff College''' is the head and overall in-charge of the [[Defence Services Staff College]]. The Commandant of the Academy is a [[Three-star rank]] officer from the [[Indian Army]]. He is supported by the Chief Instructors of the Army, Navy and Air wings, Major General in charge of Administration (MG IC Adm) (all [[Two-star rank]] appointments), Brigadier General Staff (BGS) ([[One-star rank|One-Star]] appointment) and a Staff Officer (SO to Comdt) (An Officer of the rank of Major).
<ref>{{cite web |title=Organization |url=http://www.dssc.gov.in/dssc-org.html |website=dssc.gov.in}}</ref>

The Commandant is responsible to the Chiefs of Staff Committee through the Chairman of the Joint Training Committee.

[[Lieutenant General]] S Mohan, [[AVSM]],[[Sena Medal|SM]],[[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]] is the present Commandant of the DSSC. He assumed office on 1 Feb 2022 from Lieutenant General MJS Kahlon.
<ref>{{cite web|title= Commandant |url=http://www.dssc.gov.in/cmdt_msg.html}}</ref>

==History==
The College was established in 1905 in [[Quetta]] (now in [[Pakistan]]). After the [[partition of India and Pakistan]], the Indian elements of the Staff College, Quetta led by [[Colonel (India)|Colonel]] S D Verma moved to India. Promoted [[Brigadier]] and appointed as the First Commandant, Verma chose Wellington as the location of the Staff College in India.<ref>{{cite web|date=29 December 2015|title=The Dawn of the Staff College|url=http://www.dssc.gov.in/history/The%20Dawn%20of%20the%20Staff%20College.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151229081848/http://www.dssc.gov.in/history/The%20Dawn%20of%20the%20Staff%20College.pdf|archive-date=29 December 2015}}</ref> In 1948, [[Major general (India)|Major General]] [[Walter Lentaigne|W D A Lentaigne]], [[Order of the Bath|CB]], [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]], [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]] took over as the Commandant, the longest serving Commandant till date.

The appointment was upgraded to the [[Three-star rank]] of [[Lieutenant General]] in 1981.<ref>{{cite web|date=1 May 2015|title=DSSC, Wellington - Timeline|url=http://www.dssc.gov.in/history/DSSC,%20Wellington%20-%20TIMELINE.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501020545/http://www.dssc.gov.in/history/DSSC,%20Wellington%20-%20TIMELINE.pdf|archive-date=1 May 2015}}</ref>

==List of Commandants==
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col" style="width: 20px;"|S.No.  
! scope="col" style="width: 400px;" | Name
! scope="col" style="width: 60px;" | Assumed office
! scope="col" style="width: 60px;" | Left office
! scope="col" style="width: 600px;" | Notes
|-
| 1|| [[Brigadier]] S D Verma || 1947 || 1948 || Established the Staff College in India
|-
| 2|| [[Major General]] [[Walter Lentaigne|W D A Lentaigne]], {{small|[[Order of the Bath|CB]], [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]], [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]]}} || 1948 || 1955 || Longest serving Commandant
|-
| 3|| [[Major general (India)|Major General]] P S Gyani || 1955 || 1959|| Later served as Force Commander [[United Nations Emergency Force|UNEF]] and Force Commander [[United Nations Yemen Observation Mission|UNYOM]].
|-
| 4|| [[Major general (India)|Major General]] [[Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam|P P Kumaramangalam]], {{small|[[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]]}} || 1959 || 1959|| Later served as the [[Vice Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Vice Chief of the Army Staff]] and the 6th [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]]
|-
| 5|| [[Major general (India)|Major General]] [[Sam Manekshaw]], {{small|[[Military Cross|MC]]}} || 1959 || 1962|| Later served as the 7th [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]]. India's first [[Field Marshal (India)|Field Marshal]].
|-
| 6|| [[Major general (India)|Major General]] D Som Dutt || 1962 || 1965|| Later served as the First Director of [[Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses|MP-IDSA]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Former Directors of MP-IDSA {{!}} Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses |url=https://idsa.in/formerdirectors |website=idsa.in}}</ref>
|-
| 7|| [[Major general (India)|Major General]] Har Prasad || 1965 || 1968|| Later served as the [[Vice Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Vice Chief of the Army Staff]]
|-
| 8|| [[Major general (India)|Major General]] R K Ranjit Singh || 1968 || 1972|| 
|-
| 9|| [[Major general (India)|Major General]] S P Malhotra, {{small|[[PVSM]]}} || 1972 || 1975|| Later served as the [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command]].
|-
| 10|| [[Major general (India)|Major General]] [[Adi M. Sethna|A M Sethna]], [[AVSM]] || 1975 || 1978|| Later served as the [[Vice Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Vice Chief of the Army Staff]]
|-
|| 11|| [[Major general (India)|Major General]] Mohinder Singh || 1978 || 1982|| 
|-
|| 12|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] K Balaram, {{small|[[PVSM]]}} || 1982 || 1984|| 
|-
|| 13|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] Mahipat Sinhji, {{small|[[PVSM]]}}  || 1984 || 1986|| 
|-
|| 14|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] [[F. N. Billimoria]], {{small|[[PVSM]]}}  || 1986 || 1987|| Later served as the [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] [[Central Command (India)|Central Command]]
|-
|| 15|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] Gurinder Singh, {{small|[[AVSM]]}} || 1987 || 1989|| 
|-
|| 16|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] [[Kuldip Singh Brar|K S Brar]], {{small|[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]], [[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal|AVSM]], [[Vir Chakra|VrC]]}} || 1989 || 1990|| Later served as the [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] [[Eastern Command (India)|Eastern Command]]
|-
|| 17|| [[Lieutenant General]] Y K Vadehra, {{small|[[AVSM]]}}  || 1990 || 1992 ||<ref>{{cite web |title=Lt Gen Y K Vadehra appointed Commandant of DSSC |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1990-JULY-DEC-DEFENCE-II/PDF/DEF-1990-08-05_034.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |publisher=PIB |accessdate=2 February 2020|date=5 August 1990}}</ref>
|-
|| 18|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] B S Nalwa, {{small|[[PVSM]]}}  || 1992 || 1994 ||  
|-
|| 19|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] [[Ved Prakash Malik|V P Malik]], {{small|[[AVSM]]}}  || 1994 || 1995 || Later served as the 19th [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]]
|-
|| 20|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] Baldev Singh, {{small|[[PVSM]], [[AVSM]]}}  || 1995 || 1997 || 
|-
|| 21|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] A S Rao, {{small|[[PVSM]], [[AVSM]]}}  || 1997 || 1999 || 
|-
|| 22|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] S R R Aiyengar, {{small|[[PVSM]], [[AVSM]]}}  || 1999 || 2001 || Earlier served as [[Commandant of the National Defence College]]
|-
|| 23|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] P P S Bindra, {{small|[[PVSM]], [[AVSM]], [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]]}} || 2001 || 2003 ||<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Seminar on 'Transformation of Armed Forces: Strategic Contours to Shape the Emerging World Order' will be held at College of Defence Management, Sec'bad on 27–28 Nov 2018. Lt Gen SRR Aiyengar, Former Comdt of NDC & DSSC and an alumnus of #CDM will inaugurate the seminar.pic.twitter.com/JTDjZJtQHn |url=https://twitter.com/dprohyd/status/1066619270681919490 |website=@dprohyd |language=en |date=25 November 2018}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=August 2020}}
|-
|| 24|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] T P S Brar, {{small|[[PVSM]], [[Yudh Seva Medal|YSM]]}} || 2003 || 2006 || 
|-
|| 25|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] B J Gupta, {{small|[[AVSM]]}}  || 2006 || 2008 ||<ref>{{cite web |title=Lt.Gen B J Gupta takes charge of DSSC |url=https://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/ltgen-b-j-gupta-takes-charge-of-dssc_293978.html |website=Zee News |language=en |date=9 May 2006}}</ref>
|-
|| 26|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] H P S Klair, {{small|[[Sena Medal|SM]]}} || 2008 || 2010 ||<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mar 9 |first1=Shantha Thiagarajan |title=Coonoor's Black bridge to be named after Manekshaw {{!}} Chennai News |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Coonoors-Black-bridge-to-be-named-after-Manekshaw/articleshow/4242552.cms |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|| 27|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] B V Nair || 2010 || 2011 ||<ref>{{cite news |last1=Radhakrishnan |first1=D. |title=Memorable Pongal at the Madras Regimental Centre |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/Memorable-Pongal-at-the-Madras-Regimental-Centre/article13366346.ece |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |date=14 January 2012}}</ref>
|-
|| 28|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] Chander Prakash, {{Small|[[Sena Medal|SM]], [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]]}} || 2011 || 2013 || 
|-
|| 29|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] S K Gadeock, {{small|[[AVSM]]}} || 2013 || 2017 ||<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington |url=http://www.dssc.gov.in/index.html |date=18 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140618210554/http://www.dssc.gov.in/index.html |archive-date=18 June 2014 }}</ref>
|-
|| 29|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] Amrik Singh, {{small|[[AVSM]], [[Sena Medal|SM]]}} || 2017 || 2019 || 
|-
|| 30|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] [[Yenduru Venkata Krishna Mohan|Y V K Mohan]], {{small|[[AVSM]], [[Sena Medal|SM]], [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]]}} || 2019 || 2020 || Earlier served as [[Commandant of the National Defence College]]
|-
|| 31|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] [[Manmohan Jeet Singh Kahlon|MJS Kahlon]], {{small|[[AVSM]]}} || 2020 ||2022  || 
|-
|| 32|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] S Mohan, {{small|[[AVSM]], [[Sena Medal|SM]], [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]]}} || 2022 || 2022 || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/new-commandant-for-dssc/article65217835.ece|title=New Commandant for DSSC|date=2022-03-12|access-date=2022-09-16}}</ref>
|-
|| 33|| [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] Virendra Vats {{small|[[Yudh Seva Medal|YSM]], [[Sena Medal|SM]], [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]]}} || 2022 || Present || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/HQ_IDS_India/status/1565349567444717572|title=Lt Gen Virendra Vats assumed the appointment of Commandant, Defence Services Staff College, Wellington on September 01, 2022.|date=2022-09-01|access-date=2022-09-16}}</ref>
|}

==See also==
* [[Commandant of the National Defence College]]
* [[Commandant of Indian Naval Academy]]
* [[Commandant of the Indian Military Academy]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Indian military academies and colleges}}

[[Category:Lists of Indian military personnel]]
[[Category:Military academies of India]]
[[Category:Indian military appointments]]
[[Category:Indian Army appointments]]