The Government has widened the eligibility criteria for the selection to the post of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). The amendment will open the post to any serving or retired three-star officer of the rank of lieutenant general or equivalent in the IAF (air marshal) and Navy (vice admiral).
The post of CDS has been vacant since General Bipin Rawat died in a helicopter mishap in December last year.
A new gazette notification stipulates that a serving or retired three-star officer of the rank of lieutenant general or equivalent in the IAF (air marshal) and Navy (vice admiral) can be selected for the top job. However, the candidate should not have attained the age of 62 years. It means serving or retired vice chief can supersede their seniors and become CDS. Lieutenant general is the second-highest post in the armed forces.
Similarly, a retired chief of the Army, the IAF or the Navy is also eligible for the post of the CDS provided the candidate is below 62 years of age on the date of appointment.
The tenure of the chiefs of the three services is three years or 62 years of age, whichever is earlier. This will virtually rule out retired chiefs of the three forces for the post of the CDS.
The gazette notifications issued on Monday said the Government may appoint any of these top serving or retired officers as CDS “if considered necessary, in the public interest”. The amended rules will enable the Government to widen its pool for the selection of the new CDS.
“The Central Government may, if considered necessary, in the public interest, so to do, appoint as Chief of Defence Staff, an officer who is serving as lieutenant general or general or an officer who has retired in the rank of lieutenant general or general but has not attained the age of sixty-two years on the date of his appointment,” said the gazette notification amending the Army Rules 1954.
While appointing General Rawat as the first CDS of the country in 2020, the Government had gone by the principle of first among the equals. Then, General Rawat retired as the Army chief and the senior amongst the three services chiefs. The chiefs are four-star officers.
The new notification also says the Government may extend the service of the CDS “for such period as it may deem necessary subject to a maximum age of 65 years”.
The post of CDS was created as the single point military advisor to the political leadership on the issues of national security. General Rawat was also given the responsibility of fast-tracking defence reforms to fight modern day warfare.
The CDS also runs the Department of Military Affairs in the Ministry of Defence and is principally responsible for getting the armed forces better integrated rather than operating in silos. This includes the creation of new military commands which integrate the Army, Air Force, and Navy to fight together.