Chief of defence staff

Chief of defence staff

Part of: Prelims and GS-IIl – Defence and Security

Context India’s first Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, and 12 others were killed when an Indian Air Force helicopter carrying them crashed into the Coonoor ghat, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. 

Who is Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)?

• The CDS is a high military office that oversees and coordinates the working of the three Services. 
• He offers seamless tri-service views and single-point advice to the Executive on long-term defence planning and management. 

‘Dual-hatted role’

• CDS is a ‘dual-hatted role’ which refers to the two hats the CDS wears: 
  • One of the permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee which has the three service chiefs as members
  • The other is the head of the newly created Department of Military Affairs (DMA) in the ministry.
• The former is a military role while the latter is a role in the government