In Major Military Reform, PM Modi Announces that India Will Have a Chief of Defence Staff

New Delhi:  In a major announcement while addressing the nation on its 73rd Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India will have a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to head the tri-services, a move that has been held up since it was first proposed after the 1999 Kargil conflict.

Analysts say several countries now have a single officer to head the military and ensure efficient communication with the political executive for swift decision-making.

"Our forces are India's pride," the Prime Minister said, in his over-90-minute speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Thursday. "To further sharpen coordination between the forces, I want to announce a major decision from the Red Fort. India will have a Chief of Defence Staff - CDS. This is going to make the forces even more effective."

Following a report from the Kargil Review Committee, a group of ministers (GoM) headed by the-then deputy prime minister LK Advani examined the gaps in the country's defence system. The GoM had then called for the appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff as a single-point military adviser to the defence minister.

In 2012, the Naresh Chandra Task Force had recommended creating the post of a permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. The CoSC comprises chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Air Force and the senior-most among them acts as its chairman as per existing norms.