Chief of Defence Staff

In 2019, the Union Cabinet had given approval to create the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in the rank of a four-star General with salary and perquisites equivalent to a Service Chief and then Army Chief Gen. Rawat was appointed to the post.
It is a long-pending demand to bring in tri-service synergy and integration and the biggest top-level military reform since Independence.
The CDS is the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister and Permanent Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC).
In addition, the Department of Military Affairs was created as the fifth department in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) with the CDS functioning as its Secretary.

The broad mandate of the CDS includes bringing about jointness in operations, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance of the three Services.
He acts as the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister on all tri-Services matters. However, the three Chiefs continue to advise the Defence Minister on matters exclusively concerning their respective Services.
The CDS do not exercise any military command, including over the three Service Chiefs.
The CDS is also meant to bring about synergy and optimise procurements, training and logistics and facilitate restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations.
The specialised tri-service divisions — special operations, defence cyber and defence space — were also brought under the ambit of the CDS.
While capital procurements are still with the Department of Defence (DoD), the prioritisation is with the CDS.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan has said the process of ‘theatrisation’, part of a reorganisation effort undertaken by the armed forces, is among the most ambitious reforms post-independence.
He said as part of the process they have identified nine verticals for integration which include operations, operational-logistics, training, HR, administration and supply chain management.

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