Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) India: History, List, Current CDS of India

Chief of Defence Staff India is a senior military position responsible for supervising and coordinating the operations of India's three defence services. Most nations with developed military, like the UK, have a position like this with various levels of responsibility and authority. The CDS is the most crucial post for the Indian tri-service workforce to be integrated. The current CDS of India is Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan, who took office on September 30, 2022. 

In 1955, the title of Commander-in-Chief was eliminated, and the leaders of the three branches were officially recognized as the Chief of the Army Staff, the Chief of the Naval Staff, and the Chief of the Air Staff. Presently, the heads of the three branches of the Indian Armed Forces are as follows:

• CDS of Indian Army: General Anil Chauhan
• Chief of the Army Staff: General Upendra Dwivedi
• Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar
• Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari

The Defence Minister of India, currently Rajnath Singh, oversees the Ministry of Defence and works closely with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to ensure coordination and strategic planning across the armed forces.

This topic of the “Chief of Defence Staff India” is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination which falls under General Studies Paper 3 (Mains) and General Studies Paper 1 (Prelims) and particularly in the Security section. In this article, we shall discuss the Chief of Defence Staff of India, History, the Significance of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), His Roles and Responsibilities, & More!

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What is the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)?

The Chief of Defence Staff India position was established with the intention of enhancing tri-service effectiveness, coordination, and overall integration of the Indian armed forces' combat capabilities. The government changed the Army, Navy, and Air Force service rules to make retired Service Chiefs and three-star officers eligible for consideration for the nation's top military position.The retired officer's age should not have exceeded 62 years at the time of appointment. A Group of Ministers (GoM) entrusted with analyzing the Kargil Review Committee (1999) report suggested its creation in 2001.In response to the GoM's suggestions, the government established the Integrated Defence Staff in 2002, which would eventually act as the CDS Secretariat.

As a compromise to allay concerns regarding the Indian Chief of Defence Staff, the Naresh Chandra Committee advocated the formation of a Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee in 2012. Finally, after the advice of a team of defence experts led by Lt. Gen. DB Shekatkar, the position of Chief of Defence Staff was established in 2019. India’s first CDS, General Bipin Rawat, was appointed on December 31, 2019.

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Who is the Current Chief of Defence Staff India 2025?

The present CDS of India is General Anil Chauhan (Retired). He was appointed on 30 September 2022 and is responsible for coordinating the three armed forces.

History of Chief of Defence Staff of India

In 1947, the position of Chairman of the Chief of Staff Committee (Chairman-CoSC), which served as a forerunner to that of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), was established. 

• This position was in charge of providing the Defence Minister with advice on all military matters. The chairman CoSC would be selected based on which of the three service chiefs has the most seniority.
• During hostilities with Pakistan and China in the 1960s, there was a perceived need for a Chief of Defence Staff.
• The possibility of such a role being created has grown over time. However, the Group of Ministers (GoM) did not formally propose the creation of the post of CDS until 2001, in response to a suggestion made by the Kargil Review Committee in 1999.
• The formation of the Chief of Defence Staff was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech for Independence Day on August 15, 2019.

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Here is the list of Chief of Defence Staff of India:

List of Chiefs of Indian Armed Forces

This list includes the top-ranking officers leading the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). They are responsible for strategic leadership, operational readiness, and coordination among the three defence services.

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In the DoD (Department of Defence), the Chief of Defence Staff India is the highest-ranking officer and has the rank of Secretary. His authority is limited to the revenue budget solely.

• The CDS of India will serve as the Defence Minister's single military advisor on all topics affecting all three services, and the service chiefs will be required to limit their advice to matters regarding their specific services.
• His primary duty will be to maintain a high level of inter-service harmony and promote stronger operational synergy between the Indian military's three service components.
• As the chairman of the Permanent Chairman-Chiefs of Staff Committee, CDS has the power to determine the order of importance for inter-service procurement decisions.
• The CDS has the power to provide orders to the three chiefs.
• Over any of the forces, he does not, however, have any command authority.
• In the Ministry of Defence, he is also the director of the recently established Department of Military Affairs (DMA).
• Additionally, he will have a consultative role in the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA).

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Significance of the Chief of Defence Staff India

This role is pivotal for implementing jointness and improving the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the country's defence apparatus.

• The Chief of Defence Staff India must not be afraid to speak the truth to authority in a geopolitical and international security environment that is continually changing and in which India still faces difficulties related to a variety of conflicts.
• When making difficult choices, he must act impartially and put the interests of the nation first.
• CDS of India plays important role in the operationalization of theater command and Defence and government cooperation
• The theater command system's objective is to improve communication between the three branches of the armed forces. Instead of having separate commands for the navy, army, and air force, a unified command will be created and led by a single commander.
• CDS of India will facilitate operational capability at a rate that will prevent the military's power asymmetry. Under the shelter of well-defined national and military strategies, CDS makes it simpler for policies and doctrines to develop. The National Security Strategy (NSS), which is up for decision-making by the CDS and has divided the Services, is however controversial.
• CDS of India also plays an important role in achieving coordination between the three Services' operations, logistics, transport, education, support services, communications, repairs, and maintenance. CDS also creates unity inside this jointness and guarantees that this plan does not affect the military's effectiveness
• To increase efficiency and synergy, the first CDS pushed for the integration of the armed forces theatre commands.

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