NEW DELHI: With the cremation of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, the process to select his successor is expected to be expedited.
Whether or not the talent pool to pick his successor would include retired officers is not clear, though the global trend is to promote a serving chief to the high office, a senior officer said.
Technically though, the government would be well within its rights to recall a retired officer for the position, as the post of CDS has not been ratified as an Act of Parliament, another officer informed.
“The position of CDS has been created as per an Executive Order of the government. So, as of now, nothing stops the government from appointing a retired officer as CDS,” he said.
Army Chief General M M Naravane is the senior most among his peer group, as Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari and Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar took charge recently.
While Gen Naravane is due to retire in April 2022, the two-year fixed tenures of the other two will end in 2023. Had tragedy not struck, General Rawat would have signed off in December 2023.
The formal process to name the successor is initiated by the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee.
The Chiefs of Staff Committee comprises the Army, Navy and IAF chiefs.
The request is forwarded to the defence ministry, which forwards it to the Cabinet Committee on Security for selection.
The CDS is vested with a whole lot of powers on procurement, modernisation, promotions and postings.