Government To Appoint New CDS In Next 7 Days: Reports

New Delhi: The government is mulling the appointment of a new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in the coming days, following the death of General Bipin Rawat in a chopper crash in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

The Chief of Defence Staff post will be filled in the next seven to ten days, News18 reported quoting top sources. As per the rules, any Commanding officers or flag officers of the armed forces are eligible for the position.

General Rawat had taken over the charge as the first CDS of the country in January 2020. Normally, the upper age limit for the CDS has been fixed at 65 years. PM Modi, in his Independence Day address in 2019, had announced the appointment of a CDS who will be above the three Chiefs.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will make a statement in Lok Sabha on Thursday at around 11:15 am and in Rajya Sabha around 12 pm. General Rawat’s mortal remains will be brought from Tamil Nadu to New Delhi on Thursday. The cremation will take place in New Delhi tomorrow.

The prime minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was briefed on Wednesday about the crash that led to General Bipin Rawat’s death in Tamil Nadu. Besides PM Modi, the meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, official sources said, the report added.