NEW DELHI: When Gen. Bipin Rawat took over as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on December 31, 2019, it was widely expected that the ultimate objective of creating the top post—formation of theatre commands—would be achieved in about three years. A little less than two years in his new role, Gen. Rawat died in a helicopter crash. The government named his successor, Gen. Anil Chauhan, nine months later. He has held several rounds of discussions with the three Services chiefs in his quest to bring about jointness in the military. So where do things stand as of now? In this episode of ‘Simply Nitin’, StratNews Global Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale explains how the forces are working towards that end and why the end result may still be over a year away if not more.
