Govt to name four-star General as Chief of Defence Staff

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Tuesday approved the creation of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), who will be the single-point military adviser to the government as suggested by the Kargil Review Committee in 1999.

The CCS also approved the report of a high-level committee, headed by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, which finalised responsibilities and the enabling framework for the CDS.

Explainer: Why does India need a Chief of Defence Staff?

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 respect to the three service chiefs, the CDS will be first among equals and would be a four-star officer. The CDS is likely to be just ahead in the protocol; the three service chiefs are also four-star officers.

The key areas of focus for the office of the CDS will be better planning and prioritising funds for procurement for all the three armed forces.

All the tri-service operations including newly made cyber, space and special forces commands are also expected to be under the office of the CDS.

Ahead of the announcement, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval reached the Ministry of Home Affairs for a high-level meeting, which is also being attended by Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor GC Murmu, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and CRPF Director General Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar.

Also read: Chief of Defence Staff, a decision better late than never

General Bipin Rawat may be new chief

In short, the idea behind having a CDS is to have more synergy in the functioning of the three services – the Air Force, Navy and the Army. Sources say Army Chief General Bipin Singh Rawat is likely to be appointed as the country’s first CDS. He retires as army chief on December 31.

General Bipin Rawat – who is serving a rare full three-year term as the Indian Army Chief after he superseded two officers in 2016 – is likely to get a term of over two years as the CDS, which will largely see the creation of a new structure to provide military advice to the government and implement joint procurement by the three services.

Also read: Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane to be next Army chief

The government had tasked National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval to head the committee for the setting up of a new position that was announced by PM Narendra Modi at his Independence Day address. While joint operations and tri-services commands are likely to be overseen by the CDS, the top officer is set to be heavily involved in the procurement of military equipment as well.

Given the shrinking capital budget of the defence ministry, this role will determine immediate procurement cycles for the three forces.