M A I N   N E W S

Chiefs of Staff panel seeks permanent head
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service

Altering military hierarchy The Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) has said the permanent appointee should be a four-star general The ministry has forwarded the proposal to the National Security Council headed by the PM for taking a final call on the issue The COSC Chairman could be on a par with the three services chiefs or could even be designated as the “first-among-equals”

New Delhi, December 3
In what could herald a major change in the structure of the top-military hierarchy in the country, the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) has suggested to the Ministry of Defence that the COSC Chairman should be a permanent appointee and a four-star general in the rank of a service chief.

The MoD has forwarded the proposal to the National Security Council headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for taking a final call on the issue. The Strategic Policy Group has already cleared it. The NSC will decide on the nitty-gritty of rules, seniority and other aspects. Under the existing system, the post of the COSC Chairman is held by the senior most among the chiefs of the three services.

At present, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne is the boss of the COSC. On his retirement on December 31, Army Chief General Bikram Singh will take over for around seven months. When he retires, Admiral DK Joshi will take over.

Clearly, the prevalent system makes the tenures of various COSC Chairmen so short that they can hardly be expected to make any impact. The latest suggestion means the COSC will be headed by a four-star general who could be on a par with the three services chiefs or could even be designated as the “first-among-equals”.

Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi said nothing clear could be said about the terms of tenure and retirement of the COSC Chairman at this stage. “No names have been suggested or discussed and there is no decision as to who will be the first person to head it,” he said.

The services are clear that the man doing the job of the permanent Chairman of the COSC will have be look after all tri-services issues. He will be the boss of the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), which is presently headed by a Lt General.

The government thinking is that a permanent COSC Chairman, backed by a strong administrative structure, will have ample time to focus on tri-services issues and would be better placed to coordinate between the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.