Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi on August 15, 2019 announced the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who will be above the three Service Chiefs.
Why CDS?
- As the Prime Minister said that ”there indeed is coordination between our Navy, Army and Air Force. But the world is changing today, the scope of war is changing, the nature of war is changing. It is becoming technology driven; in the circumstances India too should not have a fragmented approach. Entire military power will have to work in unison and move forward. Things cannot move smoothly if anyone from the Navy, Army and Air Force is a step ahead from the other two forces, while the other two are lagging behind. All the three should move simultaneously at the same pace. There should be good coordination and it should be relevant with the hope and aspirations of our people. It should be in line with the changing war and security environment in the world and today I want to announce an important decision from Red Fort. The subject experts on the issue have been demanding this for a long time. Today we have decided that we will now have a Chief of Defence Staff- CDS and after formation of this post all the three forces will get effective leadership at the top level. The CDS System is a very important and compelling task in our dream to reform the strategic pace of Hindustan in the world.”
Background?
- Although India has had a feeble equivalent known as the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC); but this is a toothless office, given the manner in which it is structured. The seniormost among the three Service Chiefs is appointed to head the CoSC
- The proposal was first made by the K. Subrahmanyam committee appointed after the Kargil conflict of 1999 to recommend higher military reforms.
- The Naresh Chandra committee in 2012, recommended the appointment of a Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) as a midway to allay apprehensions over the CDS.
- The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) is also one of the 99 recommendations made by the Lt General D.B. Shekatkar (retd) Committee which submitted its report in December 2016 which had 34 recommendations pertaining to the tri-services.
What is CDS?
- The CDS is a high military office that oversees and coordinates the working of the three Services, and offers seamless tri-service views and single-point advice to the Executive on long-term defence planning and management, including manpower, equipment and strategy, and above all, “jointsmanship” in operations.
- The CDS, being above the three Service Chiefs, is expected to play this role by optimising procurement, avoiding duplication among the services and streamlining the process.
- India being a nuclear weapons state, the CDS will also act as the military advisor to the Prime Minister on nuclear issues.
Examples of World
- Almost all the major powers of the world, especially the nuclear weapon states, have a Chief of Defence Staff . Even the United Kingdom from which the Indian armed forces and the Defence Ministry are modelled on has a Permanent Secretary, equivalent to the Defence Secretary, and also a CDS.
- The United States Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) is extremely powerful, with a legislated mandate and sharply delineated powers.
