The naval chief had earlier appointed an officer of his choice, Vice-Admiral Madanjit Singh, to the post. The decision of the committee, comprising the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Defence Minister, puts an end to the imbroglio between Naval Headquarters and the Ministry of Defence over higher appointments within the service.

Vice-Admiral Harinder Singh, currently Fortress Commander at Port Blair, had sought a posting to Naval Headquarters as a Personal Staff Officer (PSO). The post of Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Operations) is one of the four PSO posts of Vice-Admiral rank at Naval Headquarters.

Even as Harinder Singh's request went unheard, the Defence Ministry did not accede to Admiral Bhagwat's appointment of Madanjit Singh, keeping the file pending for almost 10months.