Delay in CDS Announcement Might Affect National Security

New Delhi: The delay in appointing a new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), post the untimely and unfortunate demise of India’s first CDS General Bipin Rawat on December 8, 2021, has further been exacerbated by the new guidelines issued in the gazette notification amendments brought out recently by the Government, a delayed decision which might have repurcussions for national security.

Given the security scenario of India with two active borders on both sides with hostile neighbours, the post of CDS, created by the present Government in 2020, was aimed at jointness, synergy and for bringing massive defence reforms through theatrisation of joint commands, all of which was given a head start when Gen Rawat took over as the first incumbent of the post on January1, 2020. This was followed by huge challenges like the deadly Covid-19 pandemic and the Chinese incursion into Indian territory in eastern Ladakh, leading to a prolonged border standoff between the two Asian giants, which remains unresolved despite 14 rounds of military commander level talks.

The new notification in the Gazette brought out by the Government says, “If considered necessary, in the public interest, so to do, appoint as Chief of Defence Staff, an officer who is serving as Air Marshal or Air Chief Marshal or an officer who has retired in the rank of Air Marshal or Air Chief Marshal but has not attained the age of 62 years on the date of his appointment,” furthering the amendment, the notification adds, “government may extend the service of the Chief of Defence Staff “for such period as it may deem necessary subject to a maximum age of 65 years”.

The amended rules are for all the three services- Indian Air Force (IAF), Navy and the Army, issued under the Air Force Act 1950 with similar nomenclature for the other two services as well.

About the delay in announcing India’s second CDS, following Gen Rawat’s sudden demise, Lt-Gen Vinod Bhatia (retd), Indian Army’s former Director General Military Operations (DGMO), says, “It is the decision of the GOI as to when and whom to appoint, however a six month void has an adverse impact on defence preparedness and the much needed impetus to theatrisation. Does not augur well specially given our security challenges along the line of actual control (LAC).”

India and China share a 3,488-kilometer-long boundary, called the line of actual control (LAC), which is unsettled and disputed, while with Pakistan, India shares a 2,300 kilometer long border running through states like Jammu, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Punjab, with Rajasthan sharing the longest border with Pakistan. In Kashmir India and Pakistan have an approximately 700 kilometer long line of control (LoC), which is not an actual border. There are constant flareups at the LoC, while at the LAC the Indian and Chinese troops got into the deadliest border clash since 1975, killing 20 Indian soldiers in the bloodshed.

After the Indo-China border standoff began in eastern Ladakh in April 2020, CDS General Rawat is said to have expedited the case for immediate purchase of light-weight tanks and heavy terrain vehicles for high altitude areas. These purchases and other reforms which were being undertaken to tackle both the adversaries, like raising the land theatres one each for Pakistan and China specifically, have apparently been put on hold after Gen Rawat’s untimely demise, thereby affecting the security of the nation.
Role of the CDS :

The post of CDS, when Gen Rawat was announced as the first incumbent in 2019 and eventually took over on January 1, 2020, was mandated with coordination between the three services, besides looking after joint training, staffing, optimizing equipment purchases, synergising arms procurement, bringing jointness among the services and working towards theatrisation of joint commands.

He was to be the Chief Military Advisor to the Government and the one-point man between the services and the Government.
Budgetary decisions for capital procurements could be prioritized by him among the services., so as to minimize unnecessary expenditure.

Advising on strategic affairs, the CDS was also responsible for bringing reforms in the three services, aimed at bolstering combat capabilities of the armed forces.

Initiated in 1999, post Kargil, by the Kargil Review Committee as one among the many recommendations, this appointment has not had many takers in the various Governments in the past 23 years, till the Narendra Modi Government soon after a few months into its second term in 2019, announced the post. The Naresh Chandra Committee had, however; recommended a ‘permanent Chairman Chiefs of Staff’, but the Govt, not just announced the CDS but birthed an altogether new Department of Military Affairs (DMA), which did not find much traction amongst the Ministry f Defence (MoD) bureaucracy. The Committee comprising the PMO, MoD and the National Security Advisor (NSA) had to find a consensus candidate. Gen Rawat, who still had a year to complete as CDS, was that consensus candidate.

As CDS, Gen Rawat wore three hats, which were CDS, in-charge of the newly created DMA and Permanent Chiefs of Staff Committee, with full financial powers. Now with the post vacant the finances are being handled by the MoD bureaucracy. In his role of the CDS, Gen Rawat was tasked with the creation of the integrated theatre commands with assets from all three services and operational control being with the CDS. In later years, it was envisaged that the DMA financial responsibilities would be lessened as the operational responsibilities of the theatre commands would increase for the CDS.

For cohesion and integration among the three services, joint theatre commands were envisaged and the CDS was mandated to raise them, who commissioned a study about their feasibility. The three-armed forces of India have 17 commands among them, all put together, which are supposed to be rolled into seven integrated theatre commands, which are Maritime Theatre Command, Air Defence Command, Space Command, Strategic Forces Command, two land Commands on the east and west (for China and Pakistan) and a Peninsula Command. India has already been operating two tri-services joint Commands-the Andaman and Nicobar Command and the Strategic Forces Command.

The Air Defence Command was reported to have come up by end of 2020, however the Covid-19 pandemic caused the delay, later exacerbated by Gen Rawat’s death.

The tri-service commands were first envisioned post Kargil and find a mention in the Kargil Review Committee report of 1999, later reinforced by group of Ministers. Aimed at jointness and optimization, the integrated theatre commands would comprise elements from all the three services, but post Gen Rawat’s death and with no announcement of a successor the theatre command project is delayed with fate unknown.

While theatre commands are under discussion, there are rumours about discontentment within the services about their command and control. For instance, the army being the largest service would like to have the control of the two land theatres and is also angling for a separate Northern Command for operations in insurgency embroiled areas of Jammu and Kashmir. The Air Defence Command has apparently invited angst between the Army and the IAF.

The New CDS :
As per the new guidelines the recently retired Chiefs are no longer eligible, like former Army Chief Gen MM Naravane (retd), who retired on April 30, 2022, and former Naval Chief Admiral Karambir Singh (retd), who retired on November 30, 2021, as they are past the age of 62 years.

According to a source the matter has not yet come up in the cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meet.

( The writer is a senior Delhi-based journalists, and the views expressed are personal)

—-INDIA NEWS STREAM