Having CDS quickly will be in national interest: Kapoor

Army chief General Deepak Kapoor today favoured a quick creation of the Chief of Defence Staff, a post which is yet to come about owing to a lack of consensus, despite a ministerial group recommending it a decade ago.

Army chief General Deepak Kapoor on Thursday favoured a quick creation of the Chief of Defence Staff, a post which is yet to come about owing to a lack of consensus, despite a ministerial group recommending it a decade ago.

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The Army chief also dismissed rumours of opposition to the idea from the Air Force.

"Sooner we have CDS, the better it is. CDS will be in the overall interest of the nation if it happens in quick time," Kapoor told reporters in New Delhi.

Replying to a query on the delays in the creation of the CDS, the Army Chief said: "CDS issue is very much under government consideration."
On alleged differences of opinion on having the CDS, with the air force reportedly opposing the idea, Kapoor dismissed the suggestion, saying there were already functioning joint tri-services institutions such as Andaman and Nicobar Command, Strategic Forces Command and Integrated Defence Staff.

"These shows steps towards jointmanship have been taken," he added.

At present, a Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) functions with the senior most of the three Services chiefs as its Chairman on rotational basis. Currently, Kapoor is the chairman of the COSC.