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Why in the News?
Lt. Gen. Anil Chauhan(Retired) has been appointed as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
Key Points:
About
Chief of Defence Staff
- Genesis: The post of Chief of Defence Staff was created in 2019 with the rank of a four-star General.
- It came on the recommendations of a committee of defence experts headed by Lt General DB Shekatkar.
- It was first suggested by the K. Subrahmanyam committee appointed after the Kargil conflict of 1999.
- The CDS is first among equals with respect to the three Service Chiefs.
- Eligibility: Any serving or retired Lieutenant General, Air Marshal and Vice Admiral under the age of 62 years will be eligible for the post of Chief of Defence Staff.
- Tenure: There is no tenure defined for the CDS unlike for Service Chiefs while the maximum age limit for the CDS is 65 years of age.
- Genesis: The post of Chief of Defence Staff was created in 2019 with the rank of a four-star General.
- Roles:
- To head the Department of Military Affairs in the Ministry of Defence and function as its Secretary.
- To act as the Principal Military Advisor to Hon’ble Raksha Mantri on all Tri-Service matters.
- To function as the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
- To be a member of the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Hon’ble Raksha Mantri.
- To ensure optimal utilisation of infrastructure and rationalise it through jointness among the Services.
Significance of CDS in India’s Security:
- India is a nuclear weapons state, the CDS will also act as the military advisor to the Prime Minister on nuclear issues.
- As the stress on resources increases and defence budgets remain flat, the way forward is the optimisation of resources by joint planning and training.
- Further, future wars become short, swift and network-centric, and coordination among the three services which will be brought by CDS is crucial.
