The Govt’s Amendment of CDS Eligibility, Roles & Responsibilities
Recently, the rules for the appointment of Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) have been amended; now retired and 3-star officers have also become eligible for this post.
The Ministry of Defense has made the following amendments in the Service Rules of the Armed Forces:
- All serving and recently retired three-star officers below the age of 62 years are considered eligible for the post of CDS. That is, Lieutenant General, Air Marshal and Vice Admiral can also be appointed to this post.
- The government can also extend the service of CDS for such period as it considers necessary.
- The maximum age for this post will be 65 years only.
Chief of Defense Staff (CDS)
- The creation of the post of CDS is a significant military reform. He is the highest-ranking officer of the Armed Forces.
- He is the single-point advisor to the government in the affairs of the armed forces.
- He is the permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC).
- He works for better coordination among the Armed Services.
- He tries to ensure the best use of resources.
- The need for single point professional military advice for political representatives was first underlined by the Kargil Review Committee. The chairman of this committee K. Subramaniam was.
- Subsequently, Naresh Chandra Task Force (2012) and DB Shekatkar Committee (2016) also recommended a single command structure.
- In the year 2019, the Committee on Security of the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister had approved the creation of the post of CDS. This post was constituted on January 01, 2020.
- General Bipin Rawat was appointed the first CDS. The post is lying vacant after his death last year.
Source – The Hindu
