The Union Cabinet has approved the creation of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in the rank of a four-star General who will act as the principal military adviser to the defence minister on all matters relating to the tri-services.

The government has also decided to create a new department of military affairs under the defence ministry, which will be headed by the CDS as its secretary.

“The Chief of Defence Staff, apart from being the head of the department of military affairs, will also be the permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee,” the defence ministry said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15 announced that India will have a CDS as head of the tri-services. The creation of the CDS as the single-point military adviser to the government was suggested by the Kargil Review Committee in 1999.

The government is likely to appoint the first CDS in the next few days. Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat, due to retire from service on December 31, is believed to be a front-runner for the post. All the major world powers have similar positions in their militaries.

What will be the department’s focus?

The department of military affairs headed by the CDS will deal with a plethora of areas including the Army, Navy and Air Force as well as with integrated headquarters of the defence ministry.

It will also deal with the Territorial Army besides procurement exclusive to the services except capital acquisitions as per prevalent rules and procedures.

The mandate of the military affairs department will also include promoting jointness in procurement, training and staffing for the services through joint planning and integration of their requirements.

The new department will also work towards promoting the use of indigenous equipment.

What will be the duties of the CDS?

A key mandate of the CDS will be to facilitate restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint / theatre commands.

Bringing about jointness in operation, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance of the three services within three years will be a major mandate of the CDS.

The defence ministry said the tri-service agencies, organisations and commands relating to cyber and space will be under the command of the CDS and he will also function as the military adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority.

The CDS will also be a member of the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by the defence minister and Defence Planning Committee chaired by the NSA.

The defence ministry said ensuring optimal utilisation of infrastructure and rationalise it through jointness among the services will be a key function of the CDS.

He will also oversee implementation of the five-year defence capital acquisition plan (DCAP) and the two-year roll-on annual acquisition plans (AAP).

The CDS will also assign inter-services prioritisation to capital acquisition proposals based on the anticipated budget besides bringing about reforms in the functioning of the tri-services aimed at augmenting combat capabilities by reducing wasteful expenditure.

The three chiefs will continue to advise the defence minister on matters exclusively concerning their respective services. The CDS will not exercise any military command, including over the three service chiefs, so as to be able to provide impartial advice to the political leadership.

When was the idea of CDS proposed?

A high-level committee set up to examine gaps in the country’s security system in the wake of the Kargil War in 1999 had called for the appointment of a CDS as a single-point military adviser to the defence minister.

A group of ministers analysing required reforms in the national security system had also favoured appointing a CDS.

In 2012, the Naresh Chandra Task Force had recommended creating the post of a permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.

The Chiefs of Staff Committee comprises the three service chiefs and the senior-most among them acts as its chairman.

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