Govt widens pool to pick CDS

In a first, 3-star rank officers, serving or retired, till age 62, are eligible

The government has amended the service regulations to make any serving or retired lieutenant-general, air marshal or vice-admiral, in addition to the three service chiefs, under the age of 62, eligible to be appointed as the Chief of Defence Staff. The post of CDS has been lying vacant since the death of Gen. Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash on December 8 last year.

THE GOVT’S move to amend the rules, for which three separate notifications were issued on Monday under the Army Act, Air Force Act and Navy Act, was aimed at widening the talent pool from which the government can appoint the country’s top military commander

The government’s move to amend the rules, for which three separate notifications were issued on Monday under the Army Act, Air Force Act and Navy Act, was aimed at widening the talent pool from which the government can appoint the country’s top military commander.

This is the first time that retired three-star rank officers of all the three services — lieutenant-generals, air marshals and vice-admirals — will also be eligible for the post of CDS. The amendment makes the recently retired chiefs practically ineligible for the post of CDS as the majority of them usually demit office at the age of 62. Under the current rules, the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs serve a fixed tenure of three years or until they reach the age of 62.

The notification under Army Act 1950 said: “The Central Government may, if considered necessary in the public interest to do so, appoint as Chief of Defence Staff an officer who is serving as lieutenant-general

■ Continued from Page 1 or general or an officer who has retired in the rank of lieutenant-general or general but has not attained the age of 62 years on the date of his appointment.”

It further said that the government may extend the service of the Chief of Defence Staff for such a period as it may deem necessary, subject to a maximum age of 65 years. Identical notifications were issued under the Air Force Act 1950 and the Navy Act 1957.

The CDS is meant to be a single-point military adviser to the government and tasked with bringing “jointness” in operations among the three services. Another key mandate is to facilitate the restructuring of military commands through the establishment of theatre commands.

A high-level committee set up to examine the gaps in India’s security system in the wake of the 1999 Kargil war had recommended the appointment of the CDS as a singlepoint military adviser to the defence minister.