‘He was destined for top post’, says ex-colleague as ‘scholar general’ takes over as new CDS

Lucknow: The reputation of General NS Raja Subramani (60) in the Army as a “scholar general” is one of the qualities that convinced Lucknow-based retired Colonel Salim Durrani (59) that he was destined to occupy the country’s highest military post.“General Subramani is a scholar general,” said Durrani, who worked with him at the Eastern Command headquarters in Kolkata in 2006-07. “He reads extensively and has a phenomenal memory. He can rattle out military doctrines, details about the PLA, Pakistani forces, or any region where he has served.”As General Subramani assumed charge as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and secretary, department of military affairs on Sunday, Durrani recalled the years they spent working together and the qualities that set the officer apart from his peers.According to Durrani, General Subramani combined intellectual depth with exceptional operational sharpness.“He is very sharp and can identify the crunch points in any situation within a short period,” he said.The two officers served together at Eastern Command in Kolkata, where Subramani was then Colonel General Staff (Operations) and Durrani was General Staff Officer (Operations), reporting directly to him.Col General Staff (Operations) — is held by a Colonel rank officer, who serves as the principal director and coordinator of military operations at the command and corps headquarters levels, while GSO (operations) is a primary staff officer responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing military operations.“We were the two working hands responsible for the complete operations of the Eastern Command, but of course we had seniors above us too,” Durrani recalled.Their responsibilities covered one of the army’s most strategically important regions, stretching across West Bengal, Sikkim and the entire Northeast, including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya.“General Subramani’s reputation as a military thinker was matched by his humility and concern for junior officers. Despite his rank and knowledge, he is extremely down-to-earth, affectionate and compassionate. He always looked after the welfare of junior officers and their families,” he said.The strong bond between the two families remains intact even today.General Subramani invited Durrani to attend the ceremony where he took charge as CDS.“The first thing he said to me while meeting today was that he was glad that I was there,’” Durrani said, who took premature retirement in 2008.Durrani is the son of Group Captain Shahid Ali Khan Durrani, the former manager of the Indian cricket team who saved India’s honour in the Gavaskar-Lillee Melbourne Test.Durrani attended the ceremony with his son, Captain Shahnawaz Durrani of the Rajputana Rifles, and daughter-in-law Anila. The family also met General Subramani’s wife, Mahalakshmi Raja Subramani.As the new CDS takes charge, Durrani believes his most significant challenge would be driving the long-pending military theaterisation process aimed at integrating the Army, Navy and Air Force under unified commands.“Theaterisation has been discussed for years, but if there is one person who can take it forward, it is General Subramani. His acumen, professional depth and driving force make him the most deserving person for this responsibility,” he said.General Subramani, who succeeded General Anil Chauhan, had served as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command, Lucknow, in 2023 and then went on to become 47th Vice Chief of Army Staff before retiring on July 31, 2025. He was serving as the military advisor at the National Security Council Secretariat ever since.