CCS to consider permanent chairman of chiefs of staff panel

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) would consider a proposal for the appointment of a four-star defence officer as permanent chairman of chiefs of staffs committee, informed sources said here Wednesday.

The permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) would look at issues at issues concerning the three armed forces and would take the role which was being performed on a rotational basis by one of the three service chiefs.

Navy Chief Admiral D. K. Joshi had stated Tuesday that all the three service chiefs have agreed to having a permanent chairman of CoSC as per the recommendations of the Naresh Chandra Task Force on undertaking reforms in the defence management.

The sources said that the proposal to have permanent chairman of CoSC had been sent to CCS.

They said defence ministry has also written to political parties seeking their views on the creation of the post of chief of defence staff, who would be a five-star officer and a single-point contact for government on defence-related issues.