New Delhi, June 7 (Agency) The Defence Ministry has brought in gazette notifications amending relevant regulations of the three Services – Indian Army, IAF and Indian Navy – regarding the appointment of the new Chief of Defence Staff. According to the notifications, both serving and retired officers who have not attained the age of 62 years on the date of appointment could be considered for the coveted post. As per the notification issued for the Indian Army, the government may consider an officer who is serving as Lt Gen or General or an officer who has retired in the similar ranks but has not attained the age of 62 years on the date of appointment.
The notification said the considerations would be made if considered necessary, in public interest. It also said the government may extend the service of the Chief of Defence Staff “for such period as it may deem necessary subject to a maximum age of 65 years.” Similar Gazette notifications have been issued for Indian Air Force and Indian Navy as well. For Air Force, rules have been amended to allow government to appoint a serving Air Marshal or Air Chief Marshal or retired Air Marshal or Air Chief Marshal below 62 years of age as CDS; for the Indian Navy, the rules have been amended to appoint a serving Vice Admiral or Admiral or retired Vice Admiral or Admiral as CDS on similar lines. The post has been lying vacant since the death of India’s first CDS General Bipin Rawat in a chopper crash in December last year. Gen Rawat was killed in a Mi-17V5 crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on December 8 last year. The Tri-Service Court of Inquiry probing the tragic chopper crash involving Gen Rawat and 13 others found that the chopper entered into clouds due to unexpected change in weather which led to spatial disorientation of the pilot causing the accident.