LIVE Online ClassChief of the Defence Staff (CDS) EMPOWER IAS
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By: Empower IAS
Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS)
In news:
- Recently, PM Modi accounced that India will soon have a Chief of the Defence Staff(CDS) to provide effective leadership at the top level to the 3 wings of the armed forces.
What is the office of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)?
- The CDS is a high military office that oversees and coordinates the working of the three Services.
- It offers seamless tri-service views and single-point advice to the Prime Minister on long-term defence planning and management, including manpower, equipment and strategy, and jointsmanship in operations.
- The role of the CDS becomes critical in times of conflict.
- The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will integrate the operations of the three forces i.e. Indian Army,Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.
- The Chief of Defence Staff will also play the role of military advisor on important defense and strategic issues for the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the country.
When was CDS proposed?
- The first proposal for a CDS came from the 2000 Kargil Review Committee (KRC).
- The Group of Ministers Task Force that studied the KRC report proposed to the Cabinet Committee on Security that a CDS, a 5-star officer be created.
- In preparation for the post, the government created the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) in late 2002
- It eventually served as the CDS’s Secretariat but remained as a yet another nebulous department within the military establishment.
Challenges that CDS will face:
- Balancing national interests,
- shedding own service affiliations,
- and looking after the interests of all the three services will always be a tough act
- India currently faces multiple security challenges
- India’s security landscape has been naturally dominated by the Indian Army
- Balancing this reality with a realisation that both maritime and air power are going to play an increasingly important role in India’s rise as a leading power
- laying the road map for time-bound integration
- attaining a seamless integration of the MoD with service headquarters
- assuming the operational responsibilities for all tri-service commands and agencies
- steering the creation of integrated battle groups for various contingencies as a precursor to validating the concept of theatre commands.
- Achieving inter-services synergy
Solutions:
- Political awareness necessary to engage with diverse stakeholders.
- As seen from the Western experience, this will happen only after years of joint-service assignments, an exposure to working with government and educational interludes in a military career.
Source)