Defence reforms at standstill as govt sits on selection of CDS

NEW DELHI: The delay in appointment of the senior most military officer, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), of the country has halted the reforms which have become necessary keeping the fast-changing threat amidst the nebulous situation in the Indian neighbourhood. Experts feel the way things are it will take even more time to see the new CDS.

Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia (Retd) feels that the appointment of General Bipin Rawat as the CDS was a step in the right direction and was necessary for integration of the armed forces. “Reforms initiated by Gen Rawat have come to a standstill. His charter included guiding Defence Preparedness which is not in focus.”

The government announced the appointment of Gen Bipin Rawat on 30 December 2019 and was mandated to head the newly created Department of Military Affairs (DMA) within the Ministry of Defence that has been tasked with coordinating, cooperating and synergising inter- and intra-services relations among the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.

Also, the CDS is the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister on issues of tri-services, as was suggested by the Kargil Review Committee in 1999. The three chiefs will continue to advise the Defence Minister on matters concerning their respective services.

The CDS has an important and challenging role of better integration of the civilian and military establishments at the highest level. CDS initiated the process of reorganising the warfighting structure of the Armed Forces (Army, Air Force and Navy) into theatre commands with an aim to have the assets of all three forces under one commander responsible for all operations under his theatre. Unfortunately, General Bipin Rawat was killed in a helicopter crash on 8 December 2021 and since then the post has been lying vacant. The analysts feel that it’s too long a time since the post has been kept vacant.