| Demand of the question Introduction. Contextual Introduction. Body. Advantages and disadvantages of CDS. Conclusion. Way forward. |
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) is a high military office that will oversee and coordinates the working of the three defence Services in India. CDS would not only ensure coordination among various defence forces but will lead to enhanced security in the region.
Benefits of having CDS:
1. It will provide effective leadership at the top level to the three wings of the armed forces.
2. The CDS will lead to greater coordination and synergy among the tri services.
3. The CDS will help in the tackling of threats from cyber and space sector in an integrated manner and would help in optimal use of available resources.
4. Policy-making on operations, procurement and joint logistics will be improved.
5. It will provide a single, all-encompassing coherent and cohesive perspective, instead of disaggregated individual single service perspective.
6. This will correct the anomaly of civic-military interface during the shaping/ deterrence phase, during operations, or after the occurrence of threatening situations.
7. It would help in holistic management of national security for optimised results and single point military advice on matters of national security including nuclear weapons.
Various issues related to post of CDS:
- A CDS may not have the full experience of every force except his own in which he served. This may lead to friction between CDS and the head of other two forces and may prove counter-productive.
- Concentrating power, as well as responsibility, in one person may not produce desired result. A body like a Council headed by CDS can produce desired results.
- The position of service chiefs will become less important with coming of CDS leading to opposition from defence forces
- The civil bureaucracy will lose its power and would lead to political and bureaucratic inaction.
India is the only country with an MoD without military professionals, with bureaucrats lacking a military background and knowledge. As a result, we lack a cohesive national security strategy; national security objectives remain undefined. There is little synergy within the military and also the military-industrial complex remains in a pathetic state. A post of CDS will remove such issues.
