CDS has some authority over services chiefs other than operational issues: Gen Rawat

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) is the first among equals and has some authorities over the three service chiefs other than operational issues, General Bipin Rawat said on Thursday.

Gen Rawat is the first CDS of India and took over his new office on January 1 this year.

"CDS is the first among equals but he has got clear and well-defined responsibilities. While he is the first among equals, he has some authority over the three service chiefs except on operational issues," Rawat said during a panel discussion at the Raisina Dialogue 2020 in New Delhi.

"I think the task is well cut out and we will be able to function within the firm framework which has been laid out for the CDS. I do not visualize any problems. We have had meetings with the 3 chiefs and a lot of decisions have already been taken in past 15 days," he added.

The CDS also said that there was a need to counter the radicalisation programs and said that the sources of radicalisation need to be found out and treated.

"Radicalisation can be countered. You need to see where it is starting. It is starting from schools, universities, from some other sources. We get the nerve of the whole things from where the radicalisation is coming, we have to start isolation of these people through deradicalisation camp," Rawat said.

"We have such deradicalisation camps going in our country and so does Pakistan," he added.

The CDS asserted that the Indian Army has not been using hard measures in Kashmir region.

"Indian Army has not been using hard tactics. If you look at the casualties we have to suffer vis-a-vis the terrorists, it is 1 for every 3. It would not have been the case if we were using hard measures. We first take the shot on to ourselves, identify the location of the terrorists and only then start acting," Rawat said.