CDS selection pool widened: Rtd, serving 3-star officers too eligible | India News,The Indian Express
Announcement imminent; 3 chiefs who retired after September 2021 out of reckoning.
Six months after General Bipin Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, died in a helicopter crash, the government has amended service rules of the armed forces, making all serving and recently retired three-star officers — Lt General, Air Marshal and Vice Admiral — under the age of 62 eligible for the post of CDS, according to notifications brought out by the government.
The new rules mean that the recently retired chiefs of services will not be considered. The amendments also indicate that an announcement on the new CDS is imminent.
The CDS is the most senior uniformed officer in rank, the first among equals — the only four-star officers in the country are the CDS, the chiefs of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.
But according to the new rules, all three-star and four-star officers from the three services, including those who retired in the last two years, will be eligible for consideration. The government, however, has put an age limit of 62 years. Since service chiefs retire at the age of 62, the three service chiefs who retired in quick succession since September 2021 are ruled out.
On Monday, the government amended the Army Rules, 1954; the Naval Ceremonial, Conditions of Service and Miscellaneous Regulations, 1963; and the Air Force Regulations, 1964 to add that the “Central Government may, if considered necessary, in public interest, so to do, appoint as Chief of Defence Staff, an officer” who is serving as Lieutenant General, Vice Admiral, Air Marshal or General, Admiral, Air Chief Marshal “or an officer who has retired” from these ranks, “but has not attained the age of sixty-two years on the date of his appointment.” It said the government may extend the service of the CDS for such a period as it may deem necessary subject to a maximum age of 65.
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