Indian Armed Forces May Soon Have The First Chief Of Defence Staff. Here’s What We Know So Far

Lt Gen. Praveen Bakshi, the senior most officer in the Indian Army, may soon take over as country’s first chief of defence staff (CDS). The Defence Ministry recently named Bakshi’s junior, Lt Gen. Bipin Rawat, as the next army chief. As we reported earlier, speculations about his appointment as CDS have been rife since then.

According to Livemint, Bakshi will possibly take over as CDS within the next 10 days. Cabinet Committee on Security, which is expected to meet today, may approve the appointment.

“The appointment of CDS is separate from the appointment of the service chiefs. It has to be approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security. Bakshi is still the senior most in the Army and his appointment may be cleared within the next 10 days, before Gen. Dalbir Singh retires on 31 December,” Livemint quoted Brigadier (retd) Gurmeet Kanwal, an expert with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), as saying.

The Indian Military currently has a uniquely fractured command, with the three wings - army, navy and air force - acting somewhat autonomously. This acts as a hurdle in joint operations, as seen during the 1999 Kargil war.

Proposed for the first time after the Kargil war, the CDS will function as the joint head of the three armed forces and will act as a link between the forces and the government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Defence Minister have both earlier pledged to appoint a tri-service chief.

Also Read: The Indian Army Gets Its New Chief. Here’s Why Lt Gen Bipin Rawat Scored Over Others