Cabinet Committee On Security Approves Creation Of Chief Of Defence Staff

'CDS will be a 4-star general who will head the new Department of Military Affairs,' said I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar

Chief of Indian Army, Air Force and Navy/ Image: Prakash Singh/AFP

New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Tuesday approved the creation of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) post and its charter and duties. The CDS will be the single-point military adviser to the government. The CCS approved report of a committee headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on finalising responsibilities of CDS, sources have said.  Army Chief General Bipin Rawat could be made the first Chief of Defence Staff, they said. CDS will be a 4-star general who will head the new Department of Military Affairs. After the crucial cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar addresssed the media and said "CDS will be drawing a salary equivalent to service chiefs, and will head the Department of Military Affairs to be created under the Ministry of Defence. He will function as its Secretary," He will have all the powers like other secretaries, including financial. Watch: The CDS will be the single-point military adviser to the government as suggested by the Kargil Review Committee in 1999. The biggest challenge before the CDS will be to ensure jointmanship among the three services, which will include powers to work on setting up of few theatre commands as well as to allocate military assets among the services to synergise their operations. While the service chiefs will continue to head the operations of their respective forces, the CDS will have powers on tri-service administrative issues. Terming it as a historic decision, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that CDS is a major step towards bringing about jointmanship between the Armed Forces. 'In a historic decision for ushering in reforms in the higher defence management in the country, the Government has decided to create a post of Chief of Defence Staff and to create a Department of Military Affairs, within the Ministry of Defence (MoD),' he tweeted. 'The decision to create CDS is a major step towards bringing about jointmanship between the Armed Forces. With this decision the Govt. has fulfilled the commitment given by the PM Shri @narendramodi from the ramparts of Red Fort during his Independence Day speech this year,' he added.

The decision to create CDS is a major step towards bringing about jointmanship between the Armed Forces.

With this decision the Govt. has fulfilled the commitment given by the PM Shri @narendramodi from the ramparts of Red Fort during his Independence Day speech this year. — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 24, 2019

Currently, the three services chiefs coordinate their work under the framework of the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS). However, after the appointment of the CDS, the IDS would be subsumed into the new structure. In a landmark military reform, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15 announced that India will have a CDS as head of the tri-services. Days after the prime minister's announcement, an Implementation Committee headed by Doval was appointed to finalise an enabling framework and determine the exact responsibilities for the CDS. (with inputs from agencies)