16/08/2019 - Government Policies

KEY POINTS

The CDS is a high military office that oversees and coordinates the working of the three Services, and offers seamless tri-service views and single-point advice to the Executive (in India’s case, to the Prime Minister) on long-term defence planning and management, including manpower, equipment and strategy, and above all, “jointsmanship” in operations.

CDS appointment advantages

·        He/She is the most senior military officer and military adviser to the President, and his remit extends to the National Security Council, the Homeland Secuirty Council, and the Defence Secretary.

·        The first proposal for a CDS came from the 2000 Kargil Review Committee (KRC), which called for a reorganisation of the “entire gamut of national security management and apex decision-making and structure and interface between the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces Headquarters”.

·        The appointment of a CDS would also lead to theatre commands, another aspect that the IAF opposes, fearing a diminution of its operational role.

·        Although the KRC did not directly recommend a CDS — that came from the GoM — it underlined the need for more coordination among the three Services, which was poor in the initial weeks of the Kargil conflict.

·        The KRC Report pointed out that India is the only major democracy where the Armed Forces Headquarters is outside the apex governmental structure.

·        It observed that Service Chiefs devote most of their time to their operational roles, “often resulting in negative results”.

·        Long-term defence planning suffers as day-to-day priorities dominate. Also, the Prime Minister and Defence Minister do not have the benefit of the views and expertise of military commanders, in order to ensure that higher level defence management decisions are more consensual and broadbased.

·        The CDS is also seen as being vital to the creation of “theatre commands”, integrating tri-service assets and personnel like in the US military. India has 17 Service commands at different locations and duplicating assets.

Criticisms of CDS

·        Theoretically, the appointment of a CDS is long overdue, but there appears to be no clear blueprint for the office to ensure its effectiveness.

·        India’s political establishment is seen as being largely ignorant of, or at best indifferent towards, security matters, and hence incapable of ensuring that a CDS works.

·        Militaries by nature tend to resist transformation. In the Indian context, critics fear, the absence of foresight and understanding might end up making the CDS just another case of jobs

Kindly review!

Kindly review

• The CDS is a high military office : 
• that oversees and coordinates the working of the three Services - the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force. 
• offers seamless tri-service views 
• single-point advice to the Executive  on long-term defence planning and management
• including manpower, equipment and strategy
• “jointsmanship” in operations

1. for better coordination among the three Services.
2. The current office, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) - resulting inefficiency and an expensive duplication of assets
3. effective leadership at the top level
4. single-point advisor to the Government of India
5. working towards cost-efficient national defence policy - for budgeting, equipment purchases, training, joint doctrines and planning of military operations

1. not having clear blueprint for effective functioning.
2. the absence of foresight and understanding might end up in not desired results.

Kindly review sir,Thank u