Army chief General Bipin Rawat named first Chief of Defence Staff

NEW DELHI: The Union government on Monday named Army chief General Bipin Rawat as the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

The Defence ministry had recently amended the Army, Air Force and Navy rules by bringing in a new clause that allows the Chief of Defence Staff to serve upto a maximum age of 65 years. The notification came in the backdrop of Gen Rawat retiring on December 31. According to the existing rules, an Army Chief has a tenure of three years or upto the retirement age of 62 years, whichever is earlier. Although Rawat is yet to reach the age of 62 years, he is retiring because he is completing his tenure.

General Rawat was the frontrunner for the post that was announced just a few days ago. The CDS will serve as the single-point advisor to the Government on all matters related to the military. He will also be responsible for better synergy between the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had first announced the position during his Independence Day speech. The recommendation to appoint a CDS was first made by a committee that examined the military’s performance during the 1999 Kargil conflict. The implementation of the recommendation had since been pending.

The Chief of Defence Staff will be a four-star General, the principal military advisor to the defence minister, and head the new Department of Military Affairs to ensure jointness in training, logistics and procurement of the three services.

The role of responsibilities of the CDS:

* The CDS would create synergy in operations and finances for all three armed forces.

* Procurement of military equipment for all the three armed forces would be one of the key responsibilities of the CDS.

* The officer would act as the sole advisor to the government on all military matters as per the Kargil Review Committee in 1999.

* A Chief of Defence Staff would be the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister on tri-services matters.

* The CDS will be a member of the ‘Defence Acquisition Council and Defence Planning Committee’.

* The officer would also work to bring in seamless coordination in operations, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance, etc. of the three services within three years of the first CDS assuming office.

* Enhance the share of indigenous equipment.

* Implement the five-year Defence Capital Acquisition Plan (DCAP), and the two-year roll-on Annual Acquisition Plans (AAP), as a follow-up of Integrated Capability Development Plan (ICDP).

* Assign inter-services prioritisation to capital acquisition proposals based on the anticipated budget.

* Prepare strategy papers on military matters for consideration of the competent authority.

* A CDS will identify and end obsolete practices, which may have crept in due to the colonial legacy. (Agencies)

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