Appointment marks changes to defence establishment

The appointment has also triggered changes to other facets of the defence establishment, as the chief of staff committee also had its new leader on Monday. At a formal ceremony here, Vice-Admiral Verma, who has been heading the Vishakhapatnam-based Eastern Command,  officially took over as the new Navy chief.

After getting commissioned in the Navy in 1950, Admiral Verma had been captain of the Leander class frigate INS Udaigiri, guided missile destroyer INS Ranvir and the aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

It would only be fitting if the induction of INS Vikramaditya (the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov) into the Navy were to happen during Admiral Verma's three-year tenure.
Before his ascension to the chief of Eastern Navel Command, he served as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff at the Navy headquarters.

Following Admiral Mehta's retirement, the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff Committee he had been holding has now gone to the army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor. The Committee consisting of the chiefs of services has the senior-most amongst them as its chairman.
The centre has also appointed Lt Gen R K Loomba, commanding officer of 3 Corps, as the new director general of Military Intelligence.

In two other key changes in the navy Vice Admiral D K Dewan has been appointed as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff and Vice Admiral M P Muralidharan has been appointed as the chief of personnel.