by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Gen. Rawat may be First Chief of Defence Staff
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Aug 16
With the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi announcing from the Ramparts of the Red Fort yesterday that a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will be appointed, the process is set to begin in the government next week.
It is learnt that the Defence Ministry will soon constitute an implementation committee to finalise the modalities and effective role of the CDS as desired by the PM.
Highly placed sources in the government say that the current Army Chief General Bipin Rawat could be the country’s fist CDS. Presently, Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa who is the current Chairman of COSC and a front runner for the post of the CDS will retire on September 30. Sources say that the Implementation Committee will not be able to finalise its recommendations to the government within the next one month. Therefore, Gen. Rawat's prospects are bright to be the first CDS as he has tenure till December 31 and would be the senior-most officer of the three service chiefs.
The CDS will be like a military adviser to the government and coordinate with the three chiefs of forces in terms of long term planning, procurement, training and logistics. In a way, he will directly report to the Prime Minister and also keep the Defence Minister in the loop. In all likelihood, he will have the rank equivalent to the Cabinet Secretary, these sources say and will be one above the Chiefs of three forces in the Order of Precedence. Since the National Security Adviser Ajit Doval has been give the Cabinet rank, the CDS will also be junior to him in the heirarchy.
