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The post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) remains vacant after the death of India's first CDS, General Bipin Rawat, in December 2021.

The post was advertised to be extremely crucial when it was created. However, the government doesn't seem to be eager to appoint the next CDS. Why is this?

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    Maybe because there is a tussle among the chiefs of Army,Air Force,and Navy as the CDS is the head of all the three departments..
    – user42728
    May 18, 2022 at 13:15
  • @RamanujanXXV Can you provide any reference atleast?
    – ShivCK
    May 18, 2022 at 16:41
  • The position was created with the aim of improving coordination, tri-service effectiveness and overall integration of the combat capabilities of the Indian armed forces
    – user42728
    May 19, 2022 at 3:52
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_Defence_Staff_(India)
    – user42728
    May 19, 2022 at 3:53
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    Ohk, unfortunately I don't have any reference ,maybe because such things (disputes between two branches of military ) rarely make it to the news.that's why I had written Maybe in first comment.
    – user42728
    May 19, 2022 at 6:59

1 Answer 1

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However, the government doesn't seem to be eager to appoint the next CDS. Why is this?

Because of two reasons:

  1. It was a political decision to create a new post and to appoint Gen. Bipin Rawat as the CDS. This was because of Gen Bipin's loyalty to the party BJP.
  2. Gen. Bipin Rawat undertook an anti-corruption and reform drive in the army. The army didn't like it.

The post was advertised to be extremely crucial when it was created.

Political decisions are advertised hard so a populist government can buy popular support.

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  • the above answer indicates that the current government used the post of CDS for pushing its own political agenda through the armed forces by appointing the person close to the ideology of their party, even then why the government is not making effort to appoint a similar person? What is the point of keeping the topmost designation of armed forces empty? Aug 9, 2022 at 12:41
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    @AnshulSahni, why is the government not making an effort to appoint a similar person? --- who knows! Probably, they are not finding one at the moment? ... ... What is the point of keeping the topmost designation of armed forces empty? --- that was an artificial and redundant position in the first place.
    – user366312
    Aug 9, 2022 at 13:23
  • Why do you think it's a redundant post, I thought that post was required since long in our defence structure but would like to know your opinion what other post is similar to CDS in the current system? Aug 9, 2022 at 13:26
  • @AnshulSahni, This politics.SE doesn't encourage giving out opinions. Therefore, I would pass.
    – user366312
    Aug 9, 2022 at 13:27
  • Agreed to you completely, no offense but I feel that your answer is opionated though you mentioned links of news reports but you none of them contains the reason specified by the government rather you linked speculative reports as the reason of the topic Aug 9, 2022 at 14:53

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