Chief of Defense Staff (CDS)

In news– Recently, India’s first Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat was killed in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu.

About Chief of Defence Staff(CDS)-

The Chief of Defense Staff of the Indian Armed Forces (CDS) is the military head and chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Indian Armed Forces.
The post of Chairman of the Chief of Staff Committee (Chairman-CoSC) had been formed in 1947 as a precursor to the post of CDS, responsible for advice to the Defense Minister on all military matters.
The creation of the post of Chief of Defense Staff was first recommended by the report of the Group of Ministers on ‘Reforming the National Security System’ (2001) to provide single-point military advice to the government.

The CDS was one of the 99 recommendations made by Lt. Gen. (retd.) D.B. Shekatkar Committee, which submitted its report in December 2016.
The CDS is the senior-most and highest-ranking uniformed officer on active duty in the Indian military, and is the principal staff officer and chief military adviser to the Minister of Defense.
The CDS also heads the Department of Military Affairs.
He is a four-star general like the three chiefs, the CDS will be the ‘first among equals’ in the hierarchy.
The first Chief of Staff was Bipin Rawat who took office on 1 January 2020 and held it until his death on 8 December 2021.

Role & responsibilities of CDS-

Evaluate plans for ‘Out of Area Contingencies’, as well as other contingencies such as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.
Implement Five-Year Defense Capital Acquisition Plan (DCAP), and Two-Year roll-on Annual Acquisition Plans (AAP), as a follow-up of the Integrated Capability Development Plan (ICDP).
Assign inter-Services prioritization to capital acquisition proposals based on the anticipated budget.
Integrate and rationalize international cooperation plans.
Prepare strategy papers on military matters for consideration of the competent authority.
Bring about reforms in the functioning of three Services aimed at augmenting combat capabilities of the Armed Forces.
Prepare an empirical and objective report on annual achievements in jointness during the year for the Defense minister.

About the Department of Military Affairs-

It was created in 2020 as the fifth department in the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
It is headed by Chief of Defense Staff (CDS).
The existing ones are the Department of Defence, the Department of Defence Production, the Department of Defense Research and Development and the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare.
The DMA deals with the armed forces, the integrated headquarters of the MoD, comprising the Army, Naval and Air, Defense staff headquarters, the Territorial Army and works relating to the three Services and procurement exclusive to them except capital acquisitions.
Its mandate includes promoting jointness in procurement, training and staffing for the Services, facilitating restructuring of the military commands for optimal utilisation of resources and promoting the use of indigenous equipment.