Changes in service rules on CDS create ambiguity

Since its first day in office, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre has shown lots of decisiveness and courage when it comes to taking decisions relating to the Armed Forces. It took up issues which were being ignored previously and have addressed them comprehensively. The Modi government has been very successful in setting a newer vision, taking several new initiatives and changing the game to the short-term as well as the long-term advantage of India.

Instituting the office of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), taking an intrepid call to face off the Chinese at Doklam, responding with tough measures on border incursions and the surgical strikes, besides expanding domestic defence manufacturing and growing defence exports, were some of the measures which endeared the government for its no-nonsense approach in military matters to the nation. The results showed the policy was paying off, with increasing global exports, growing international respect and India being made a crucial partner in the Indo-Pacific with the Quad grouping.

The recent decision of the BJP government to amend service rules of the Armed Forces, which includes allowing retired service Chiefs and three-star officers to be eligible for the CDS post was disappointing, primarily because it misses the crucial need to ensure absolute objectivity in defining qualifications, thereby eliminating future subjectivity, misuse and confusion.

There cannot be any scope for ambiguity in eligibility in the appointment of the country’s apex position of the Armed Forces, with the new integrated theatre command strategy in place. The ruling can also create a little anxiety for the highest officers in uniform, given the premium on seniority in the institution of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.

As stated in the policy, the Centre may appoint as the CDS, an officer serving as, or having retired as, lieutenant general, but below the age of 62 years on the date of appointment, which clearly means that a serving or retired Lt General could be named as the boss of the military pyramid, to whom the three chiefs of the services could be reporting to.

Technically, such an appointment might be preceded with the upgrading of such an officer to a four-star rank, but nevertheless might defenestrate the holy grail of rank and command seniority as much as age and overall service seniority. The new policy could also create issues of communication and confusion as serving officers could be ignored in favour of retired officers of the same rank. Bringing in sudden, disruptive and wholesale changes to an hierarchical and cohesive machine by a civilian leadership which might not fully grasp the essence of military leadership could end up creating internal challenges. The policy might be seen as having scope for bias and favouritism. Having a large, undefined pool of resources to choose from for the top position is not in keeping with the ethos of clarity and coherence crucial to the Armed Forces.

Of course, India needs to quickly appoint its CDS, a post kept vacant since Gen. Bipin Rawat passed away in a helicopter accident in December last year. But the policy must be a tribute to his genius, and not allow bureaucratic ambiguity which he, perhaps, would not have approved of.

Bringing in sudden and wholesale changes to an hierarchical and cohesive machine by a civilian leadership which might not fully grasp the essence of military leadership could end up creating internal challenges