New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that the process of appointing a new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) is ongoing. The government is still evaluating the new candidature for the post. The minister was speaking at the foundation day event of the Defence Estate Directorate.
Singh addressed the media after the event in which he shed light on the matter of appointment of new CDS. After the untimely demise of India’s first CDS General Bipin Rawat, the post was left vacant.
Although the Army Chief General MM Naravane was appointed as the Chief of Staff Committee (CoSC) on Wednesday, the post of CDS is still vacant. Before the formation of the post of CDS in 2019, CoSC used to be first among the equals of all three defence services.
Now, after General Rawat’s death in the helicopter crash, the post is brought into functioning once again. According to the sources, General Naravane will head the post till the appointment of the new CDS.
While speaking at the event, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his condolences on General Rawat’s death and said that it is the loss of the nation.
Can General Naravane Be Next CDS?
While General Naravane is the senior-most among the chiefs of the three services, he is scheduled to retire in April 2022. If he is appointed as the new CDS, his term will be extended for three years as the retirement age for the CDS is 65 years.
The Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhary and Naval Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar have taken over their post on September 30 and November 30 respectively, which makes them junior to General Naravane.