Indian Army COAS has been named India’s first Chief of Defence staff. General Rawat is set to retire from his post of Army Chief on 31st December 2019 having served his term of 3 years successfully. The Union Cabinet which is chaired by PM Modi approved the CDS post along with its charters and duties on December 24 2019.
The CDS will act as the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister on tr-services matters. The other 3 chiefs of the defence forces will continue to advise the DM on matters exclusively concerning their own respective forces.
Interestingly, two days before his retirement, the Defence Ministry changed rules of service and tenure in the Army Rules, 1954. The move was interpreted as government’s intention to appoint Rawat as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff.
General Rawat’s name was the only one that was circulated in the media when it came to this post. He passed out of NDA and IMA and was commissioned into 5/11 Gorkhas. He has had an illustrious career with the armed forces having fought the Chinese PLA in the Sumdorong Chu Valley face off. He has been awarded the PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, YSM and the VSM.
