Appointment of Chief of Defence Staff will be made soon: Rajnath Singh

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) shall be appointed soon, defence minister Rajnath Singh said while announcing the ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme for the defence forces.  Singh said, “The appointment of the CDS will be made soon. The process for it is underway.” 

The government had initiated steps towards appointing former CDS late General Bipin Rawat’s successor earlier this week. The Centre amended the Army, Air Force and Navy Acts to include retired officers in the pool of officers to be considered for the highest appointment, news agency ANI reported.  

As per the new rules, serving or retired lieutenant general, air marshal and vice admiral under 62 years of age will be eligible for appointment as the CDS.  

CDS is the head of the Integrated Defence Staff presently headed by a three-star Indian Air Force Officer. CDS is also the in charge of the Make in India in defence programme and has the mandate of promoting and ensuring Aatmanirbhar Bharat scheme in the defence sector.  

The incoming CDS will also work towards facilitating restructuring of the military commands for utilisation of resources via jointness in operations through establishment of theatre commands. He is the single point of contact for military advice to the government and senior most bureaucrat in the defence ministry.  

Late General Bipin Rawat was appointed as the first CDS on January 1, 2020 with a responsibility to bring convergence in the functioning of the three defence forces and bolster India’s military prowess.  

General Rawat and 13 others died in an IAF chopper crash in Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor in December last year. He was on his way to Defence Staff College in Wellington from the IAF base in Sulur near Coimbatore at the time of the accident. He was also conferred the Padma Vibushan posthumously earlier this year.  

(With agency inputs)