Contrary to the common strategic viewpoint that India should have a chief of defence staff (CDS) for better coordination in higher defence, army chief General J J Singh says that the time is not yet ripe to appoint a CDS.
Appointment of the CDS, a single point source for military advice for the government, remains one of the most debated decisions of the Kargil review committee. The committee was  headed by strategic expert K Subramanyam.
Though a group of ministers endorsed the CDS proposal, the Congress-led UPA government has so far stalled its implementation. Former defence minister Pranab Mukherjee stated that Congress was unsure whether it would be  prudent to appoint a CDS.
The apprehensions appear to have stemmed from the fact that creation of a CDS, who will be much higher in position and power than the three service chiefs, may lead to the development of an alternate and superior military power-centre. Creation of a CDS is also likely to alternate the country’s nuclear command.
Future development
“Chief of defence staff will be a mid term and long term future requirement, once we have resolved our internal and boundary problems,” said Gen Singh, who hangs his boots by the next month end. “The security challenges facing the country at present revolve around the boundary dispute and internal situation, which are single service specific. We have commitments like in Jammu and Kashmir, and on the line of actual control with China,” he said after inaugurating the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies.
Asked why there was a delay in the appointment of CDS, the army chief said, “it will fall in place. They are working on this. We have to progress beyond jointmanship.”
Headed by  Kargil hero Lt Gen H S Lidder, the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies will function under the chief of integrated staff. The army chief hoped that the centre would go a long way in achieving synergy in operations, formulation of joint policies and concepts and integrating procurements.
“The centre has come up in a short time after the Defence Minister A K Antony granted his approval on priority, based on a report of the Group of Ministers,” he said.
Interestingly, while the centre – another think tank for the defence ministry – came up rather quickly, the joint doctrine being prepared by the three services is yet to see the light of the day.
The new centre is likely to advise future generals on joint strategies and conduct studies and research in joint war-fighting.