Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)

Following the death of General Bipin Rawat, the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff, on December 8, 2021, Army Chief General M M Naravane took over some of the responsibilities of the CDS as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC).

• There are neither rules nor precedence, in appointing a CDS. Thus, the government is still looking for appointing a new CDS.

About CDS

• CDS is the post of combined head of Army, Navy and Air force. CDS will be in the rank of a four-star General with salary and perquisites equivalent to a Service Chief. The maximum age limit for CDS is 65 years.
• He will also head the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), to be created within the Ministry of Defence and function as its Secretary.
• CDS will also be the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He will act as the Principal Military Adviser to Defence Minister on all tri-Services matters. The three Chiefs will continue to advise Defence Minister on matters exclusively concerning their respective Services.

Functions

As the Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, CDS will perform the following functions:

1. Will be member of Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Defence Minister and Defence Planning Committee chaired by NSA.
2. Function as the Military Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority.
3. Bring about jointness in operation, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance, etc of the three Services, within three years of the first CDS assuming office.
4. Ensure optimal utilisation of infrastructure and rationalise it through jointness among the services.
5. Assign inter-Services prioritisation to capital acquisition proposals based on the anticipated budget.
6. Bring about reforms in the functioning of three Services aimed at augmenting combat capabilities of the Armed Forces by reducing wasteful expenditure.