India Will Finally Have Chief Of Defence Staff, COAS Bipin Rawat May Be First To Lead Forces

Maintaining that the rules of war are changing and India can¡¯t think in a bubble, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced the creation of a post for Chief of Defence Staff to ensure that Indian forces move together and not fall behind.

Defence experts have long been calling for the creation of a post for Chief of Defence Staff along the lines of Western military forces in India, who would be instrumental in assisting better coordination between the army, air force and navy.

"Our forces are India's pride. To further sharpen coordination between the forces, I want to announce a major decision ... India will have a chief of defence staff," Mr Modi said in his Independence Day address from the ramparts of Red Fort.

"Reform is also necessary. Defence reform has been in the works for a long time now and reports have been tabled several times. The rules of war are changing and India can¡¯t think in a bubble. Our forces need to move together and can¡¯t be falling behind. Coordination should be in tandem with the other. I have decided that Chief of Defence Staff will be created. And all three forces will have one chief and this will help unite the forces," the prime minister added.

India had organised its military into three different services, each led by its own chief, since independence from Britain in 1947. Such an arrangement was thought necessary to ensure too much power was not concentrated in the hands of a single commander.

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Memorably, a government committee had recommended such a position in 1999, after India came close to war with Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, to ensure the three defence arms operate together.

Mr Modi said the establishment of a chief of defence staff was an important step towards military reform. The new chief would also have control over funding for the military, which is struggling to modernise its Soviet-era equipment.

The announcement comes at a time when PM Modi-led NDA government at the centre has seemingly held national security as a top priority to face the challenge from Pakistan and China.

If speculations are to be believed, the current Chief Of Army Staff (COAS) Bipin Rawat, could be the first to hold the vital post.

With Reuters Inputs