The need of which was felt right from 1999 but the process having undergone many a hiccup all these years in the country, finally culminated in a few days back by the Cabinet Committee on Security in its historic decision giving its approval for appointing the chief of the three services known as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). General Bipin Rawat who served the Army as Chief of the Staff has been appointed for the post, the charge of which he took on December 31, last year. The issue of a central command and the convergence in functioning of the Army, Navy and the Air Force thus stand addressed. It was definitely going to bolster India’s military dexterity and strength . Not only that,optimal utilisation of military resources would be ensured by establishment of theatre command. India has, as such, joined the elite club of six big powers having such arrangement as India is on the thresh hold of being a major military power of a reckoning.
The nation would remember the devotion, vast experience in operations and high level of professionalism exhibited by General Rawat as the Army Chief the term of which was to be over just a day after his assuming the new role and the country expects his new challenging role to be worth emulating looking to the policy of ‘hot pursuit’ and other actions on borders in responding to terror threats and border violations. India is facing two belligerent neighbours, one of these has persistently been of extreme nuisance value and bent upon creating mischiefs and acts of animosity which demands that command preparations and directions should be from single point source hence the post of the CDS.
The tenure of the CDS would be for three years and for extending the age of retirement to 65 years , Government is expected to formulate guidelines after formally amending the rules . It could also be inferred though there is no specific mention in the appointment of the CDS , that anyone from the three services possessing the requisite efficiency , eligibility and seniority could occupy the highest post of the military command . The mandate given to the CDS , explicit and implicit comprise manifold activities of critical nature starting from bringing about the joint(ness) in logistics, transport, training, support service, communications, repairs and maintenance of the three services to holding the newly created department of military affairs. Cyber and space like new but challenging portfolios relating to military nature would be looked after him in addition to beingmilitary advisor to Nuclear Command Authority. With these varied critical and sensitive responsibilities which the post of the Indian CDS would be carrying , undoubtedly, would be at par and in no less measure held by his counterpart in the elite club of the CDS post holding countries.
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