Chief of Defence Staff to Serve Till 65 as Government Amends Army Rules to Lift Age Limit

New Delhi, December 29: The government on Saturday, December 28, amended service rules of three armed forces where retirement age for services chiefs can be extended to 65 years if they are appointed as the Chief of Defence Staff. The amendments have been made in the Army Rules, 1954, as per the notification by the ministry of defence. As per the charter of duties for the Chief of Defence Staff, the CDS will also be the member of the Nuclear Command Authority headed by the Prime Minister. General Bipin Rawat to be Appointed as First Chief of Defence Staff After Tenure as Army Chief Concludes: Report.

In a landmark decision, the Cabinet Committee on Security on Tuesday gave nod to the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff who will act as a single-point military advisor to the defence minister on all matters relating to tri-services. Chief of Defence Staff to be Appointed Soon For Bringing Jointness in Military Operations; Key Things to Know About CDS.

Amendments in Army Rules, 1954:

A CDS would be a four star general belonging to any of three sectors of Indian forces- Army, Navy and Air force. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat is the front runner for the post, who is due to retire on December 31, 2019.

The post was first suggested by the Kargil Review Committee (KRC) in 1999 and the formation process was set in motion on August 15, 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the country will now have a Chief of Defence Staff who will act as a chief for all three military forces.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 29, 2019 07:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).