BackChief of defence staff likely to streamline decision-making for armed forces
The chief of defence staff will be a unifying force for the army, navy and the air force; Lt. Gen Praveen Bakshi is tipped to take the post
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New Delhi: The Indian armed forces may be headed for a more streamlined system of reporting and decision making with the possible appointment of a chief of defence staff (CDS). Mint reported on Monday that Lt. Gen Praveen Bakshi was the likely choice.
ALSO READ | Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi may take over as chief of defence staff
However, there is lack of clarity on the role of the CDS and over whether India needs a CDS at all. A CDS was proposed after the 1999 Kargil War by the Kargil Review Committee (KRC), and endorsed by a group of ministers headed by then home minister L.K. Advani. Based on the latter’s recommendations, an Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) was set up in October 2001 to provide staff to the CDS from across the three services—a body which is still functional today, but without a CDS to head it.
“If the CDS is appointed, the IDS too will then have the requisite authority. In essence, the CDS will be a unifying force for all three services," said Brig (retd) Gurmeet Kanwal at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA).
While a defence ministry spokesperson did not comment on the matter, serving and retired armed forces officers said the appointment of a CDS—whether Bakshi or any other officer—will prove a massive turning point in the traditional setup of the forces, one that will require intricate “architectural planning."
Former air vice-marshal Kapil Kak said it was important to appoint the CDS because of the current geopolitical climate and it was imperative to take on board the inputs of all three service chiefs more proactively .
“The CDS must be fully involved in integrating policies related to security as well as administering the nuclear forces. However, every time there is a security issue, the government needs to liaison not just with the CDS alone, but with all three service chiefs. Security is a complex issue and the greater the number of inputs, the better it is," Kak said.
Hinting that the seniority of the three service chiefs would not be compromised in any way, Kanwal added, “They will have equal access to the defence minister and the prime minister. While the CDS will be impartial in his judgement and authority, in times of crises, it will be up to the PM and the defence minister to take on board the suggestion they best see fit."
The Indian Army too has voiced its support for the idea, saying all modern armed forces across the world have a CDS, who was the single point contact for the governments. However, the Army has a slightly different take on the matter.
“We have the IDS, but there is nobody to head the body as yet. Most countries across the world have a CDS that reports to the government. Detailed structural planning is needed to chalk out the role of the CDS. A government needs a single point advice and not multiple people and agencies giving it advice in times of a crisis," said the Indian Army’s Northern Command spokesperson.
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