A first: New Navy Chief to take over amidst a challenge to his appointment

For the first time, the assumption of office by an Indian service chief will be conditional to the outcome of a court case challenging his appointment.

The Armed Forces Tribunal on May 29 allowed Vice-Admiral Karambir Singh to take charge as Chief of Naval Staff on May 31 subject to an adjudication on a challenge to his appointment by Vice-Admiral Bimal Verma, the commander-in-chief of the tri-service Andaman and Nicobar Command. Verma is senior in service to Singh and has contended that his candidature for Navy Chief was rejected on frivolous grounds. He has sought the quashing of Singh's appointment.

Vice-Admiral Karambir Singh has clearly been groomed for the top Indian Navy job over the last couple of years. As Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, he oversaw the increase in tempo of naval operations. As Vice-Chief, he supervised the modernisation and procurement agenda for building a navy for the future. And as head of the Eastern Command, he helmed a formidable armada which includes a nuclear-powered submarine, and one which is focused not just on countering the principal military threat from China but also showing India's flag and presence in China's backyard.

Putting Vice Admiral Karambir Singh's appointment on hold "will not be convenient for the health of the organisation", the Tribunal observed in its May 29 order. But the Tribunal has made Singh's continuation conditional to the outcome of the litigation. The matter has been deferred for four weeks and his fate kept in balance.

Meanwhile, the Navy Chief-designate on May 30 demitted charge as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, handing over the baton to Vice-Admiral AK Jain.

Vice-Admiral Karambir Singh has clearly been groomed for the top Indian Navy job over the last couple of years. As Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, he oversaw the increase in tempo of naval operations. As Vice-Chief, he supervised the modernisation and procurement agenda for building a navy for the future. And as head of the Eastern Command, he helmed a formidable armada which includes a nuclear-powered submarine, and one which is focused not just on countering the principal military threat from China but also showing India's flag and presence in China's backyard.

Vice-Admiral Bimal Verma, on the other hand, has been consistently overlooked for appointment at Naval Headquarters and kept away from the Navy's centre of gravity after being promoted to three-star rank. At Navy Headquarters, he was ignored for appointment as Chief of Personnel, and then as Deputy and Vice-Chief - all positions of consequence - when vacancies arose. The signals to Verma have been dismal for five years. After a long stint in a non-command position as chief of staff of the Eastern Command, he has languished as commander-in-chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command for three years. The Andaman and Nicobar Command is still a concept command for tri-service integration, and lacks any major military assets.

The whisper against Bimal Vema is that he unduly benefitted from his brother, Admiral Nirmal Verma's term as the Indian Navy Chief from 2009 to 2012, and from the latter's presence in the top brass in the years before that. The principal bone of contention appears to be over the allegedly preferential treatment given to him in the War Room Leak case of 2005, during which episode Bimal Verma was the principal director of naval intelligence

The whisper against Bimal Vema is that he unduly benefitted from his brother, Admiral Nirmal Verma's term as the Indian Navy Chief from 2009 to 2012, and from the latter's presence in the top brass in the years before that. The principal bone of contention appears to be over the allegedly preferential treatment given to him in the War Room Leak case of 2005, during which episode Bimal Verma was the principal director of naval intelligence. The case took place under his watch. While harsh action - including summary dismissal - was taken against most in the chain of command under him, Verma got away with a reprimand, which was served upon him after he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral.

Eyebrows were also raised when an abandoned merchant ship MV Pavit ran aground near the Versova Beach in Mumbai in 2011. The ship had drifted from Oman for more than a month. Questions were raised about the Navy's inability to detect and intercept an unidentified ship despite the coastal security alert following the 26/11 terror attack from the sea. Bimal Verma was then the flag officer commanding Western Fleet, and his brother the Chief of Naval Staff. The incident made the Indian coastal security arrangements look hollow.

The allegation against Bimal Verma is that all unfavourable action against him was deliberately delayed till after he picked up higher rank. Hence, no dark spots showed on his record when he was considered for promotion to two-star and three-star rank. Bimal Verma strongly refutes allegations that nepotism helped him reach high rank.

Eyebrows were also raised when an abandoned merchant ship MV Pavit ran aground near the Versova Beach in Mumbai in 2011. The ship had drifted from Oman for more than a month. Questions were raised about the Navy's inability to detect and intercept an unidentified ship despite the coastal security alert following the 26/11 terror attack from the sea. Bimal Verma was then the flag officer commanding Western Fleet, and his brother the Chief of Naval Staff. The incident made the Indian coastal security arrangements look hollow

He has sought summoning of his service record before the Tribunal. The Ministry of Defence has stood its ground, rejecting an application for 'redressal of grievance' overt his supersession.

Bimal Verma is not the first senior-most military officer to be superseded for appointment as Chief. In December 2016, the Modi Government superseded two top generals to appoint Bipin Rawat as the Army Chief.

Admiral Karambir Singh will be the first helicopter pilot to be Chief of Naval Staff. He will also be the first aviator to make it to the top naval job in a decade. Singh worked his way up the hierarchy as a Chetak and Kamov pilot. He has commanded two guided missile destroyers INS Rana and INS Delhi. He was also flag officer commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area.

His first appointment in the rank of Vice-Admiral was that of Director-General Project Seabird, in-charge of development of the Indian Navy's biggest and most modern base at Karwar.

As the Indian Navy's Grey Eagle - or senior-most aviator - accepts the Navy Chief's telescope from Admiral Sunil Lanba on May 31, he would be aware that he's sailing in uncertainty till the judges decide whether or not his appointment is correct. That surely is a first for the Indian military leadership.