General MM Naravane received the Guard of Honor on the lawns of South Block before relinquishing his post as the Chief of the Army Staff in New Delhi.
Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) Appointment AmendmentThe Center has revised the selection process of candidates for India’s top military post – Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) by widening the selection pool of existing serving officers. Under this major change, any serving or retired lieutenant general, air marshal and vice admiral below the age of 62 years will be eligible for the post of CDS.
“The Central Government may, if it deems necessary in the public interest, appoint as Chief of Defense Staff, an officer serving as an Air Marshal or an Air Chief Marshal or an officer not below the rank of Air Marshal or Air Chief Marshal has retired. but has not attained the age of sixty-two years as on the date of his appointment,” the Center said in a notification.
Officers may be considered for the top post with serving chiefs of the Army, Navy and Indian Air Force as per the revised rules aimed at widening the pool from which CDS can be appointed.
The post of Chief of Defense Staff has been lying vacant since the death of General Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash on 8 December.
The government on Monday issued separate notifications as part of the Air Force Act, Army Act and Navy Act to make provisions for the appointment of any serving or retired lieutenant general, air marshal or vice admiral as CDS. Is.
Government notification to make provision for over-serving officers to be eligible for the post of Chief of Defense Staff (CDS).
“The Central Government may, if necessary, in the public interest so as to appoint, as the Chief of Defense Staff, an officer serving as an Air Marshal or an Air Chief Marshal or an officer serving as an Air Marshal has retired in the rank of Air Chief Marshal or Air Chief Marshal, but has not attained the age of 62 years on the date of his appointment,” said the notification issued under the Air Force Act 1950.
It further states that the government may extend the service of the Chief of Defense Staff for such period as it may consider necessary, subject to a maximum age of 65 years.
Similar notifications were issued under the Army Act 1950 and the Navy Act 1957.
The term of three service chiefs is three years’ service or when they turn 62, whichever is earlier.
In fact, retired Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force are unlikely to be considered for the post of CDS as the age to become eligible for the post has been kept at 62 years.
On 1 January 2020, General Rawat took over as India’s first CDS to bring about convergence in the functioning of the Army, Navy and Indian Air Force and enhance the country’s overall military prowess.
Another major mandate of the CDS was to facilitate the restructuring of military commands for optimum utilization of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including the establishment of theater commands.
In 1999, a high-level committee set up to examine deficiencies in India’s security arrangements in the wake of the Kargil War recommended the appointment of the CDS as a single-point military advisor to the Defense Minister.
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