Govt Amends Service Rules Of Army, Navy And Air Force To Make Retired Chiefs, Three-Star Officers Eligible For Appointment As CDS

Five months after the death of the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, the government has amended the service rules of the Army, Navy and Air Force to make serving three-star officers and retired three- and four-star officers eligible for appointment to the post of CDS.

Any serving or retired Lt General, Air Marshal and Vice Admiral under the age of 62 years will be eligible for the post of Chief of Defence Staff, according to notifications brought out by the government.

The officers can be considered for the top post along with serving chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force, according to the amended rules which are aimed at widening the pool from which CDS can be appointed.

The post of Chief of Defence Staff has been lying vacant since the death of Gen Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash on December 8.

The government has issued separate notifications on Monday as part of the Air Force Act, the Army Act and the Navy Act to make the provisions to make any serving or retired Lt General, Air Marshal or Vice Admiral eligible to be appointed as the 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 Air Marshal or Air Chief Marshal or an officer who has retired in the rank of Air Marshal or Air Chief Marshal but has not attained the age of 62 years on the date of his appointment,” the notification issued under the Air Force Act 1950 said.

(Witn inputs from PTI)