Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane has taken over the charge as the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CSC) as a stop-gap arrangement. Naravane, who is the senior-most among the three service chiefs, will continue to head CSC till the post of the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is filled.
CSC includes IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Air Marshal Balabhadra Radha Krishna and Navy Chief Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar who had taken over their respective positions on September 30 and November 30.
After the demise of General Bipin Rawat, the Indian government for the time being has adopted the old system of CSC. Under this system, the senior-most among the three service chiefs is appointed as chairman of the CSC to ensure coordination among the three forces. After the creation of the post of Chief of the Defence Staff, the post of CSC was abolished, but now it has been revived on a temporary basis.
The post of the CDS fell vacant following the demise of General Bipin Rawat in a chopper crash on December 8, who was appointed as the first CDS of India. In December 2019, the post of CDS was created as the head of defence forces of the country.
The CDS also heads the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) as its secretary. Under the new arrangement, the Air Marshal who is also the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, will report to General Naravane. Air Marshal will act as Deputy Chief of Defence Staff.
Additional secretary Lt General Anil Puri looks after the work of the secretary of DMA. In December 2019, DMA was constituted as the fifth department of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to frame policies on security-related matters. The other four departments are the Department of Defence, the Department of Defence Production, the Department of Defence Research and Development, the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare.
Hunt for the new CDS going on
The sudden demise of extraordinary military leader General Rawat created a void and an extraordinary situation. General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 12 other military personnel lost their life after their military chopper crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.
On the evening of December 8, the Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met to discuss the situation. However, so far there is no official word about the new CDS, certain names are being discussed in the security establishments who are among the front runner.
General Naravane is considered the frontrunner for the post who took charge as the 27th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) on December 31, 2019. He was the 40th Vice Chief of Army Staff, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Command and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Army Training Command. Naravane is set to retire in April 2022.
Former IAF chief RKS Bhadauria had served as the Chief of the Air Staff from September 30, 2019 till 30 September 2021. Having served the IAF for 42 years, he has the experience of flying 27 types of fighter aircraft and transport aircraft for over 4,270 hours.
The current Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari is also among the contenders of this post who had joined IAF on December 29, 1982 as a fighter pilot. Prior to this, he served as the 45th Vice Chief of the Air Staff and as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Air Command. He has over 3800 hours of flying experience and also served as the Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Air Defence) at Air Headquarters and as the Deputy Commandant at the Air Force Academy, Dindigul.
Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar is the 25th Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Indian Navy. Prior to this, he served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command. he joined the Indian Navy on January 1, 1983. He has also served as the Vice Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Personnel, the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, and as the Chief of the Staff of the Western Naval Command.
