After having received the nod from the Election Commission, the Defence Ministry has set into motion the process for selection and appointment of the new Navy Chief, nearly a month after Admiral D.K. Joshi resigned on moral grounds owning responsibility for mishaps and accidents in warships and submarines.
Sources in the Defence Ministry said that the Election Commission’s approval was sought as the Model Code of Conduct is in force at the moment.
Admiral Joshi’s tenure would have normally ended in 2015 but he quit on February 26 and the government designated Vice Admiral R. K. Dhowan as the acting chief of the Naval staff. However, the government is learnt to have formed a panel of five senior Naval officers and started the process of selection, which might take a few more days.
Admiral Joshi’s resignation disturbed the succession line in the Navy.
The delay in appointment of the new Navy chief also meant putting several programmes and visits on hold, sources pointed out. India won’t be represented at a crucial meeting of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) being held in Perth, Australia from Monday.
