Chief Of Defence Staff(CDS) as head of the TRI-services in INdia soon

In a landmark military reform, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 15 August announced that the country will now have a chief of defence staff (CDS) as head of the TRI-services, a proposal pending since the Kargil conflict in 1999.

During theAtal Bihari Vajpayee Government ahigh-level committee set up to examine the gaps in the country’s security system in the wake of the Kargil war in 1999 had called for appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff as a single-point military adviser to the Defence Minister.

Under the present structure, the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee coordinates tri-services issues. The CoSC comprises the Army, Navy and IAF chiefs and the senior-most among them acts as its chairman. Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa is currently serving as chairman of CoSC.

Highlights

–This is going to make the forces even more effective.

–As head of the three services, the CDS will ensure synergy and provide effective leadership to the armed forces.

–The CDS will be senior to the service chiefs and his primary role will be to work towards increasing operational coordination among the Army, Navy or Air Force and deal with India’s national security with a comprehensive approach.

–The CDS will also act as a single-point military adviser to the Prime Minister and defence minister on key defence and strategic issues.

–It will make India’s national security more effective as it will ensure multi-disciplinary coordination.