Amid CDS appointment process, Centre seeks list of top serving, retired defence officers
New Delhi, May 25: As the process to appoint the new Chief of Defence Staff is underway, the government has sought names of senior serving and retired officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force.
The Defence Ministry has sought the names of the top five serving officers including the serving chiefs from the three forces along with the names of retired chiefs and commander-in-chief rank officers, government sources informed media on Wednesday.
Moreover, the service headquarters has been instructed to give the names of only those officers who retired after January 2020 for the retired officers. The key move comes at a time when the appointment of the new Chief of Defence Staff is pending.
The post has been vacant since December 8, last year, following the death in an air crash of the country's first CDS, late General Bipin Rawat.
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The appointment of the CDS by the Narendra Modi government within six months of regaining office in 2019 has been hailed as one of the most significant reforms in the country's higher military structure.
The CDS was designated Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs, which is currently led by an Additional Secretary-rank Lieutenant General.
The CDS also serves as the head of the Integrated Defence Staff, which is currently led by a three-star officer from the Indian Air Force.
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-PTC News
