NEW DELHI: The Department of Military Affairs (DMA) will now decide promotions of all officers in Brigadier rank and above in the tri-services. While the promotional structure for the Army, Navy and Air Force is yet to be finalised, financial powers, however, would remain with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).Created by the Defence Ministry in December, the DMA is headed by newly-appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat.
“The promotions of officers of Brigadier and all equivalent ranks above in the tri-services, including that of Major General to Lieutenant General, will be decided by the newly created DMA,” Major General Mukesh Aggarwal said. “We are looking at similar models and studying structures where technocrats also work,” Maj Gen Aggarwal, who is Defence Advisor to the CDS, added.
In order to create a structure where specialists can work, the DMA is studying the setups of the MEA, ISRO, DRDO etc to concretise the model, he added. “We are working presently on an interim basis. The structure will be finalised in six months to a year time.” He said the process to transfer the financial powers is on though, as of now, Secretary DMA, in the CDS office, handles the responsibility.
The DMA is an addition to the four existing verticals in the Union Defence Ministry — the departments of defence, defence research, defence production and development and ex-service welfare. From the next Defence Acquisition Council meet, procurement approvals will be as per the priorities set by the DMA.
It now handles the armed forces, integrated headquarters of the ministry of defence, the Territorial Army, procurement exclusive to services except capital acquisitions and ensures joint procurements for tri-services, while looking after training and staffing for the services among others.