Road ahead for CDS

With the appointment of Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (retd), a former Eastern Army Commander and Director General of Military Operations, as India’s new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the government has finally filled the top post that had been lying vacant after Gen Bipin Rawat died in a helicopter crash in December last year. The prolonged delay in naming General Rawat’s successor had led to doubts being raised about the government’s commitment to the CDS’s mandate of synergising the functioning of the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force; restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources; and improving India’s battle-readiness.

It was in June this year that the Ministry of Defence notified changes in the Army, Air Force and Navy Acts, paving the way for any serving or retired Lt General, Air Marshal and Vice-Admiral under the age of 62 years to be in contention for appointment as CDS. The creation of a larger selection pool had given rise to unsavoury apprehensions about supersession of seniormost officers. The speculation has been laid to rest at last; now, it is Lt Gen Chauhan’s responsibility to begin from where General Rawat left off. As the Secretary to the Department of Military Affairs, the CDS will be expected to ensure greater coordination and understanding between the government and the defence top brass. Talking or working at cross purposes will undermine India’s growing stature as a military power and impact its credibility in the international arena.

It’s the CDS’s job to bring the Army, the Navy and the Air Force on the same page on matters such as defence modernisation and indigenisation. Accomplishing jointness in operations — an indispensable element of 21st-century warfare and military preparedness — requires the establishment of integrated theatre commands. A seamless transition to the new system and striking a balance between the three services will also be among the major challenges for the CDS. Much will depend on how much freedom the new officer will have to exercise his powers and take decisions that can have far-reaching consequences for national security.