Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat has been named as India's 1st Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), sources have said.
Gen Rawat is due for retirement on Dec 31. However, the govt on Sunday amended the Army rules to change the retirement age of tri-Service chief and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to 65 years. The decision to amend the rules has been taken so a service chief can be appointed as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) after retirement.
The Union Cabinet last week approved setting up of Department of Military Affairs within the Ministry of Defence to be headed by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) having the rank of a 4-Star General.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will be the permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and will be supported by the Integrated Defence Staff in this role.
As per the charter of duties, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will also be the member of the Nuclear Command Authority headed by the Prime Minister.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will act as the Principal Military Adviser to Defence Minister on tri-Services matters. The three Chiefs will continue to advise the Defence Minister on matters exclusively concerning their respective Services.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will not exercise any military command, including over the three Service Chiefs.
Role and responsibilities of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)
- Act as the Principal Military Adviser to Defence Minister on tri-Services matters. The three Chiefs will continue to advise the Defence Minister on matters exclusively concerning their respective Services.
- Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will not exercise any military command, including over the three Service Chiefs.
- Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will administer tri-services organisations. Their military command will be with the Chief of the duly notified Service, which has a predominant role in the effective functioning of that specific tri-service organization. However, Tri-services agencies/organizations/ commands related to Cyber and Space will be under the command of the CDS.
- Provide integrated inputs of the Services to relevant authorities. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will be a member of Defence Acquisition Council and Defence Planning Committee.
- Bring about jointness in operations, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs, and maintenance, etc. of the three Services within three years of the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) assuming office.
- Ensure optimal utilization of infrastructure and rationalize it.
- Enhance the share of indigenous equipment.
- Evaluate plans for'Out of Area Contingencies', as well as other contingencies such as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.
- Implement a Five-Year Defence Capital Acquisition Plan (DCAP), and Two-Year roll-on Annual Acquisition Plans (AAP), as a follow-up of the Integrated Capability Development Plan (ICDP).
- Assign inter-Services prioritization to capital acquisition proposals based on the anticipated budget.
- Integrate and rationalise international cooperation plans.
- Prepare strategy papers on military matters for consideration of the competent authority.
- Bring about reforms in the functioning of three Services aimed at augmenting combat capabilities of the Armed Forces. This may, inter-alia; entail rationalization of facilities. Use of indigenous equipment across the whole spectrum. He will identify and end obsolete practices, which may have crept in due to the colonial legacy.
- Build trust and confidence in the rank and file.
- Prepare for Raksha Mantri an empirical and objective Report on annual achievements in jointness during the year.
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