Army, Air Force get into turf war on CDS
10 Jun 2013 6:37 AM IST
The operationalisation of the recommendations of the Naresh Chandra high powered committee on national security especially appointment of the all-powerful Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) is getting delayed following a turf war between the three services. The CDS has been conceptualised as the principal adviser to the Prime Minister on the military matters.
According to well-placed sources, the Army headquarters has expressed reservations to the Ministry of Defence on ‘anybody other than one from the Army taking over as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)’, which would replace the existing Chiefs of Defence Staff Committee (CDSC).
The Air Force has since 2001, when K Subrahmanyam committee first visualised CDS, been opposed to the idea, but in recent past agreed to reconcile as its present chief, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, could take over as first CDS as he currently heads the CDSC. Otherwise, Browne is retiring in December-end and would get replaced by army chief Gen Bikram Singh as CDSC.
Since code of conduct issued by the Election Commission would come into force sometime in October due to polls in several states in December, the Army brass is pushing for early announcement lest the matter gets irrevocably delayed due to ban on creation of any new office.
In their favour, the Army headquarters is believed to have argued that despite comprising 80 per cent of the total strength of the Army, Navy and the Air Force taken together, the Army has been given a raw deal in the CDSC. According to the army leadership, in the past 10 years, the chairmanship of the CDSC has remained with the Army only for 16 months, whereas Navy held sway for 70 months and the Air Force for 34 months.
The most important peace-time job of CDS would be to reconcile budgetary and equipment demands of the three services, which currently rests with the CDSC. ‘This (chairmanship of CDSC by Naval and Air chiefs) has affected the modernization process in the Army as the Naval and Air Force chiefs when at helm in CDSC worked towards the modernisation of their service than appreciate the Army’s case. This has been unfortunate as when it comes to war with our neighbours, it’s the Army which clinches the issue and today Army is, amongst the three, least modernised force,’ said a well-placed source.
Next Story
