General Bipin Rawat to be first Chief of Defense Staff
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has been made the first Chief of Defense Staff of the country. The central government has increased the age limit for the post of CDS on Sunday itself. He is retiring from the post of Chief of Army Staff on 31 December. In his place, Manoj Mukund Narwane will take over as the new Chief of Army Staff.
Why the need for CDS arose
The lack of coordination between the Air Force and the Indian Army was evident during the Kargil War. The then Air Chief and Army Chief General VP Malik differed on the use of the Air Force. Indian strategic strategists also realized this shortcoming and recommended the government to re-create CDS. This position is essential for government leadership as a role of military advisor. However political parties and military forces have opposed it. Some people feel that a person having more military powers can give rise to concentration problems. In 2015, the then Defense Minister spoke of the formation of the post.
The Naresh Chandra Committee, formed in 2012, had recommended the permanent chairman of the Chief of Staff Committee (COSC), taking out the middle path. Under the present system, the chairman of COSC is appointed, but the results have not been as expected. In December 2016, the DB Shekatkar Committee constituted to reform the army submitted its report to the government. The issue of appointment of CDS was raised, including 99 recommendations.
Who will become Chief of Defense Staff
The Government of India has given approval to appoint the Chief of Defense Staff to be the senior most general of the three services. Regarding the synergy, there is a system of TRAI services command. The three armies have a joint commander conference and are headed by the three armies in the security affairs cabinet. Apart from this, several measures have been taken to promote synergy, joint operation.
The three forces have consistently demanded the formation of CDS. The Parliamentary Committee of the Ministry of Defense also strongly raised the recommendation of Kargil Education Committee, but the Central Government continued to avoid the formation of CDS. The recommendation remained in abeyance for about 19 years.
