On December 8, General Bipin Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, died tragically in a helicopter crash in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. His untimely death raises the important question of who would be India’s next CDS.
After serving as the 57th and last Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the 26th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army, General Rawat was named Chief of Defence Staff on January 1, 2020.
When making the appointment, the central government will have to examine the following factors.
1. The appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff has no precedent, as General Bipin Rawat was the first to hold the position. Precedent is vitally essential in government matters, and various factors will have to be considered when appointing a new officer as the next CDS.
2. On December 31, 2016, General Bipin Rawat was named the 26th Chief of Army Staff. He took over the Indian Army from two Army officers, Lieutenant Generals Praveen Bakshi and PM Hariz. While his nomination as Indian Army Chief by replacing two officers was rare, the government has the authority to make such selections.
3. He was the first CDS who was also a four-star officer, like the Chiefs of the Army Staff, Air Staff, and Naval Staff. He was, nonetheless, “top among equals” and had “clear and well-defined tasks.”
4. To be eligible for the CDS, officers must be four-star generals or comparable grades in the Indian Air Force (Air Chief Marshal) and Indian Navy (Admiral). The individual can also be a three-star officer in the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, or Indian Navy, but they are not eligible to become four-star officers in those organisations. As a result, all leaders in the Army, IAF, and Navy are qualified.
5. The person in charge of India’s sole tri-services command, the Andaman and Nicobar Command, rotates among the three services. The same can be done in the case of the CDS as well. General Rawat was also a proponent of combining Army, IAF, and Navy commands into a single command structure. However, since General Bipin Rawat died in uniform, i.e. while on duty, the issue of precedence has resurfaced. Because he was the first officer to be appointed to the post of CDS, it is now up to the government to pick a replacement.
6. While the government chose General Rawat as the CDS because of his extensive military experience, the government can appoint any qualified officer based on his knowledge and political acumen.
