The report
of Naresh Chandra Task Force on Security has sparked a tussle between the South
Block babus and the armed forces. The report has recommended to appoint more
uniformed officers in the Defence Ministry to increase their say in national
security decision making and to replace civilian Defence Secretary by Chief of
Defence Staff (CDS) as ‘a single source of advice’ for the Defence Minister and
the Prime Minister.
The
committee led by former cabinet secretary Naresh Chandra lamented that despite
the service chiefs and the highly specialized Service Head Quarters’ staff
being at their disposal for advice in the management of national security the
political establishment is totally relying on the feedback of Defence Ministry
civil servants, drawn from diverse backgrounds.
“According
to the report the service headquarters are excluded from the apex structure.
The Services have limited access to the political establishment, and can make
little or no contribution to national security decision-making,” sources said.
To cure the problem, the report suggests posting of more armed forces officers
in the ministry, a fact that has not found much acceptance amongst the
bureaucracy.
Informed
sources told The Sunday Standard, to enhance the status of service Chiefs in
decision making processes the Task Force has also recommended the amendments in
Business Rules - the “Government of India Allocation of Business Rules” (AoB
Rules), and the “Government of India Transaction of Business Rules”
(ToB Rules), framed in 1961 under the constitutional powers of the President of
India. As per the present arrangement, the three Service Chiefs find no mention
in the Business Rules, what is their status and standing vis-à-vis the Defence
Secretary – who under the rules is responsible for the “Defence of India and
every part thereof?”
“Over the
past 64 years, it has become quite clear that the three Service Chiefs are to
be accorded the courtesies due to their rank and position, and allowed to
administer and operationally deploy their respective Services. However, since
they have no locus standii as per Business Rules, their input to the
decision-making of the four MoD Departments remain marginal.
“So much
so, that the Secretary Department of Defence is deemed to represent the three
Services in most forums, and the Departments of DRDO as well as Defence
Production need not seek or abide by their advice,” sources added. With
India inching towards completing its nuclear triad and acquiring strategic
weapons like inter-continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Agni-V, the criticality
of the post of CDS – the Chief’s of the three service chiefs – has
increased. As per the report, the CDS will have direct access to the Defence
Minister rather than channeling his advice through the Defence Secretary.
“The
present system of Chairman CoSC (Chiefs of Staff Committee) is not working
well. As the senior-most among the three Chiefs take over as CoSC Chairman he
is at the helm of affairs from one to 20 months depending on his residual service. “In
the coming times CoSC will become important in the Chain of command for nuclear
weapons; and hence the urgency for CDS,” sources added. In order to iron out
the objections raised by the Indian Air Force (IAF) opposing the move, the
report suggests appointing the seniormost Chief among the three services to be
appointed as CDS and his immediate junior be handed over the rein of that
service.
The
Government had in June 2011, appointed the Naresh Chandra Committee, and
comprising of former defence officers like Admiral Arun Prakash, Air Chief
Marshal S Krishnaswamy and former Director General of Military Operations Lt
Gen VR Raghvan and bureaucrats like Brajeshwar and Vinod K Dugga, to
revisit the defence reforms process and the report of the committee was
recently submitted the Prime Minister. The report has been circulated to the
various concerned ministries and finally it would be considered by the Cabinet
Committee on Security (CCS). A public version of the report is likely to be
made available soon for an open discourse, sources indicated.
THE FORCES ARE LIVING A DREAM THE BABUS SITTING IN MOD AT THE BEHEST OF RETIRED SECRETRIES POLITICANS AND SOME RETIRED GENS SITTING IN POSH COLONIES LIKE ANAND LOK VASANT VIHAR DEFENCE COLONY SKIM CRORES FROM THE DEFENCE DEALS WHICH ARE SIGNED EVERY YEAR
ReplyDeleteNO WAY THEY WILL GIVE UP POWER UNLESS A MIRACLE SHORT OF PHYSICAL EVICTION OR SHOOT OUT TAKES PLACE
GEN V.K SINGH DRAMA WAS PLAYED BY BABUS TO SCARE
EVERY BODY THAT THE GEN WAS ABOUT TO TAKE OVER AND HENCE MAITAIN STATUS QUO.