New Delhi: The country’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, will don an olive-green coloured uniform, but it will reflect the tri-services ethos.
The government had appointed Rawat as India’s first CDS Monday, and he is set to assume office Wednesday.
The uniform will not have any lanyards, as worn by military personnel, but the collar tabs will have four stars and a wreath displaying the officer’s rank.
Tri-services institutions generally use the maroon colour to represent them, and sources in the Army told ThePrint that the epaulettes on the CDS’s attire will have a maroon patch with the officer’s rank in golden colour, a button, and an Ashokan Lion Capital and tri-services insignia in a wreath. This tri-services insignia will replace the conventional star, crossed sword and baton on epaulettes worn by general officers of the Army.
The CDS’s peak caps will also have a badge with the tri-services insignia in a wreath, replacing the conventional service badge.
The tri-services insignia will be there on the belt buckle too. While the regimental badge continues to be on belts of all Army officers, Air Force and Navy officers wear their service insignia.
On the buttons of the CDS’s service dress, the tri-services insignia will replace the respective service insignia.
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CDS a four-star general
The government had, on 30 December, issued a notification to set up the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) within the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The CDS will head the DMA as a secretary to the government.
Guidelines issued by the government last week also said that the CDS will be a four-star general and act as the principal military adviser to the defence minister, as well as the permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.
The DMA will be mandated to promote jointness in procurement as well as training and staffing for the three military services, via shared planning and integration of all requirements. It will facilitate restructuring of the military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by way of bringing jointness in operations, which would include establishment of theatre commands and promoting use of indigenous equipment by the services.
The DMA will also work closely with the armed forces, integrated headquarters of the MoD, and deal in procurement exclusive to the services, except capital acquisitions.
General Rawat said Tuesday that as CDS, he would “think and work according to the new responsibility and vigour”.
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