The government is expected to start the process of appointing the next Chief of Defence Staff soon, with Army Chief Gen MM Naravane emerging as the front-runner for the position that became vacant when Gen Bipin Rawat died in a terrible helicopter crash.
The CDS is appointed based on a set of simple criteria. Any commanding officer from the Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), or Indian Navy is eligible for the CDS position. The government must make a choice based on the military officer’s merit-cum-seniority. The person who holds the position of CDS should not be more than 65 years old.
After General Bipin Rawat, Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane is the senior-most general in the military among the three serving chiefs of the armed services. General Naravane is the Indian Army’s commander till April 2022.
General Naravane succeeded General Bipin Rawat as the Indian Army’s chief of staff in December 2019. In comparison to two other military commanders, this puts him at the top of the seniority list.
According to people acquainted with the situation on Thursday, the administration will form a selection panel consisting of top commanders from the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
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