The post has been vacant since December 8 last year when General Bipin Rawat, the first and then chief of defence staff, passed away in an IAF helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu.
Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the country’s second chief of defence staff (CDS) will be appointed ‘soon,’ even as the post continues to remain vacant more than six months after the untimely demise of the first CDS, General Bipin Rawat, in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu on December 8 last year.
Earlier this month, the Centre issued a notification, thus widening its selection pool for the appointment of the nation’s next defence chief, the senior most military office in the country. As per the new rules, any serving or retired lieutenant general, or officer of the corresponding ranks in the navy and air force – vice admiral and air marshal respectively- under the age of 62 years, will be eligible for selection.
At the same time, the three serving army, navy and air chiefs remain eligible to be promoted as CDS
