Govt changes Service rules to make retired officers eligible for CDS post

Tags: Defence

The Central Government has made a major change in the rules for appointment to the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). The government has amended the service rules of the Army, Navy and Air Force.

• What are the new rules?

• Under the new rule, now retired chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force or serving lieutenant general rank officers can also become CDS.

• Age should be less than 62 years at the time of appointment.

• Thus, under the new rules, the way has been cleared for the second best active rank officers of the three services to become CDS.

• General Bipin Rawat was appointed as the country's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) after retiring from the post of Army Chief.

• The post of CDS has been lying vacant since the death of General Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu in December last year.

• About Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)

• CDS is the head of Indian Armed Forces  and the highest-ranking officer of the Indian Armed Forces.

• The President of India is the supreme commander of the armed forces.

• General Bipin Rawat was the first Chief of Defence Staff.

• He assumed office on 1 January 2020.

• CDS post was created on 24 December 2019.

• CDS is a member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, National Security Council, Defence Acquisition Council, Defence Planning Committee, Nuclear Command Authority, Defence Cyber Agency and Defence Space Agency.

• List of Chiefs of the Indian Defence

• Army Chief - General Manoj Pande

• Navy Chief - Admiral R. Hari Kumar

• Air Force Chief - Air Chief Marshal  Vivek Ram Chaudhari