In the structure of the Indian defence forces, who serves as the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee?

Introduction / Context:
The Chiefs of Staff Committee is an important coordinating body among the three services of the Indian Armed Forces. Understanding its composition and leadership is helpful for examinations on defence organisation and civil military relations. Historically, before the creation of a separate Chief of Defence Staff, the chairmanship of this committee followed a specific convention. This question asks who serves as the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, so you must recall that convention.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The options list each of the three service chiefs individually and one option describing a seniority based convention.
• The question refers to the role of Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee as it has been traditionally understood.
• We assume that the answer sought reflects the convention in place before the appointment of a permanent Chief of Defence Staff.
• Only one option correctly states this convention.

Concept / Approach:
The traditional practice in India has been that the senior most among the three service chiefs, in terms of date of appointment as chief, serves as the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. This means the position is not permanently tied to a specific service such as the army, navy or air force, but rotates based on seniority at a given time. The correct approach is therefore to reject any option that permanently links the chairmanship to one service and to choose the option that explicitly mentions the longest serving member of the committee.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Review Option A. It claims that the Chief of Army Staff is the Chairman. This would make the role permanently army controlled, which is not the convention. Step 2: Review Option B. It suggests that the Chief of Naval Staff is always the Chairman, which is also not how the committee operates. Step 3: Review Option C. It states that the Chief of Air Staff is the Chairman, again incorrectly tying the role to a single service. Step 4: Review Option D. It states that the member who has been the longest on the Committee serves as the Chairman. This matches the seniority based convention historically followed. Step 5: Conclude that Option D is correct.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify this, recall that leadership positions that are rotated among services often use seniority rules to determine who holds the chair at a given time. Official references to the Chiefs of Staff Committee have described the Chairman as being the senior most service chief. This arrangement was in place until the role of Chief of Defence Staff was created to provide more permanent and integrated leadership, but the examination question reflects the earlier and widely taught convention. The fact that none of the three specific service based options would allow rotation confirms that the seniority based description is the accurate one.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• The Chief of Army Staff: This would make the army permanently dominant and contradicts the rotating convention.
• The Chief of Naval Staff: This likewise incorrectly ties the chairmanship to one service.
• The Chief of Air Staff: This option again contradicts the idea of rotation and is not supported by historical practice.

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates instinctively select the Chief of Army Staff because the army is the largest service and is often more prominent in news coverage. Others may randomly guess among the three service chiefs. The key is to remember that the committee is meant to reflect joint leadership, so a rotating, seniority based system makes more sense than permanent assignment to any one service. Recognising the pattern of seniority based chairmanship is a useful shortcut in such questions.

Final Answer:
The Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee is the member who has been the longest on the Committee, that is, the senior most service chief.