As India welcomes its third CDS, a look at powers and responsibilities of the armed forces' 'Primus Inter Pares'

From Sunday (May 31), India will have a new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as Gen Anil Chauhan ends his three-year-and-eight-month, very eventful stint which includes Operation Sindoor, as the 'Primus Inter Pares' or first amongst equals in the armed forces.

Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani (retd) will take charge as India's third CDS, after Gen Chauhan and late General Bipin Rawat. He will be the third consecutive CDS from the Indian Army.

Created to bring in better synergy between the three services—Indian Army, Navy and the Air Force—the Four-Star officer serves multiple roles, including that of principal military advisor to the defence minister.

Amid questions over the rationale for appointing retired officers as CDS despite the availability of serving chiefs, concerns in some quarters over the Army producing the third consecutive CDS, and allegations that the post has increasingly acquired political colours, it is important to understand the role of CDS and the duties and responsibilities associated with the position.

The history

After many years in the making, the post was finally created in 2019 to improve coordination between the armed forces and the civilian bureaucracy, strengthen integration among the three services, and ensure more effective planning, operations and procurement across the military. The objective is to make India's armed forces more unified, efficient and better prepared for future challenges.

The idea of creating the post of CDS dates back to the aftermath of the 1999 Kargil War. The Kargil Review Committee, headed by strategic affairs expert K. Subrahmanyam, recommended a review of India's national security structure and called for better coordination between the defence ministry and the armed forces.

Based on the committee's findings, a group of ministers in 2001 recommended the creation of a CDS to improve integration and coordination among the services.

Several major military powers, including the US, the UK, France, China, Japan and Canada, already had similar positions to promote joint planning and operations among their armed forces. However, despite repeated recommendations, India took nearly two decades to implement the reform.

The post of CDS was finally created in 2019, marking one of the most significant changes to India's higher defence management system.

Duties and responsibilities

The CDS heads the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), which was created to bring greater synergy to the functioning of the armed forces. The department oversees the three services, the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence, which comprises Naval Headquarters, Air Headquarters and Defence Staff Headquarters, and the Territorial Army. It is also responsible for procurement exclusive to the services, except capital acquisitions.

One of the key responsibilities of the DMA is to promote jointness among the armed forces in areas such as procurement, training and staffing through joint planning. The department is also tasked with facilitating the restructuring of military commands to ensure optimal utilisation of resources and improve operational effectiveness, including through the creation of joint or theatre commands.

With theaterisation, a single commander in a designated zone will command all the assets and resources of all forces.

Another important mandate is to encourage the use of indigenous defence equipment by the services in line with the government's push for self-reliance in defence.

Apart from heading the DMA, the CDS serves as the Permanent Chairman of the inter-service forum Chiefs of Staff Committee.

While the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs continue to advise the defence minister on matters concerning their respective services, the CDS acts as the principal military adviser on issues involving all three services.

It is to be noted that the CDS does not exercise military command over the service chiefs, allowing the position to provide impartial military advice to the political leadership, according to the government release in 2019, while announcing the creation of the post.

As Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, the CDS oversees tri-service organisations and agencies. Organisations and commands dealing with cyber and space domains fall under the CDS.

The CDS is also a member of the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by the Defence Minister and the Defence Planning Committee, headed by the National Security Adviser.

The CDS additionally functions as the military adviser to India's Nuclear Command Authority.

The office is responsible for enhancing jointness in operations, logistics, transport, communications, training, support services, repairs and maintenance across the three services.

The CDS is also responsible for ensuring optimal utilisation of military infrastructure and promoting greater integration among the services.

Another major responsibility of the CDS is to oversee long-term defence planning and capability development. This includes implementing the Five-Year Defence Capital Acquisition Plan and the Two-Year Annual Acquisition Plans based on the Integrated Capability Development Plan.

The CDS also prioritises capital acquisition proposals among the services in line with available budgets.

"It is expected that this reform in the Higher Defence Management would enable the Armed Forces to implement coordinated defence doctrines and procedures and go a long way in fostering jointmanship among the three Services. The country would be benefitted by coordinated action on greater jointmanship in training, logistics and operations as well as for prioritisation of procurements," the government release had said in 2019.