The most important post that coordinates between the three armies of the country, land, sea and air, is the Chief of Defense Staff, i.e. CDS. Now a new name has emerged for this responsibility. The Central Government has appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani (Retd) as the new CDS of the country. He will replace the current CDS General Anil Chauhan, whose tenure is ending on 30 May 2026. After this, Subramani will take command of this post and will continue to fulfill his responsibilities till further orders.

The post of CDS was created in India in the year 2020. Its objective was that there should be better coordination between the three armies and decisions related to defense could be taken quickly. They advise the government on military matters, ensure proper utilization of resources and decide the direction of future defense preparedness. N. S. Raja Subramani has served in the army for a long time. His experience of working on different important posts will now be useful to the country.

Lieutenant General (Retd) N. S. Raja Subramani’s military journey has been very long and important. At present, he is working as Military Advisor in the National Security Council Secretariat from September 1, 2025. Even before this, he has held responsibilities on many big posts. He was the Vice Chief of the Army Staff from 1 July 2024 to 31 July 2025. Apart from this, he also served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command from March 2023 to June 2024. After his long experience in the army and fulfilling many responsibilities, he has now been appointed as the new Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) of the country.

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How much salary will you get?

The post of CDS is equivalent to that of a four-star general. The officer posted on this post gets a fixed salary of about Rs 2 lakh 50 thousand per month. Along with this, many types of allowances and facilities are also provided by the government. These include official residence, staff, travel facilities, security and other necessary arrangements. This salary has been fixed according to the most senior military post of the country.

Why is this post important?

Earlier all three armies used to take decisions at their own levels. But now after the arrival of CDS, a central coordination has been formed. This saves resources, plans are made quickly and immediate action is possible in case of emergency.

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Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Saturday (14 February 2026) while referring to India’s defense preparations for Operation Sindoor, targeted neighboring country Pakistan. During Operation Sidur, Indian forces entered Pakistan and caused massive destruction, which the neighboring country will never forget. Taking aim at Pakistan, CDS Anil Chauhan said, ‘Victory is not declared by mere rhetoric. Victory cannot be celebrated with a bad air defense system.

Rhetoric does not lead to victory: CDS Anil Chauhan

In the inaugural session of a seminar in Pune, General Anil Chauhan mentioned India’s success in Operation Sindoor. He said, ‘Victory is not declared merely through rhetoric, as some organizations in our neighborhood (Pakistan) have done, but is shown to the world through evidence, as we showed during Operation Sindoor. Victory cannot be celebrated with destroyed terrorist structures, damaged runways and poor air defense systems. Such victories or slogans are not permanent.

What did CDS say on future defense policy?

CDS Anil Chauhan said that India’s defense policy in future should be based on emerging threats. He said, ‘It is necessary to decide India’s defense policy for the next decade on the basis of a serious assessment of future challenges and circumstances. I believe that this (current) policy is becoming increasingly competitive, confrontational, aggressive, fragile and technically extremely problematic.

‘Perceptions of permanent friends and enemies are changing’

He also said that in today’s changing global environment, countries can no longer assume permanent friendship or rivalry and India must be prepared to act independently if needed. He said, ‘Perceptions about permanent friends or enemies are changing rapidly. In today’s world it is difficult to define who are your friends, who are your allies, who are your enemies and who are your adversaries. This is why India must be mentally, structurally and physically prepared to act independently if needed.

There was an uproar in the budget session of Parliament on 2 February 2026 over a statement by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. Rahul started narrating the statement from the book of former Army Chief Naravane, but Speaker Om Birla stopped him midway. After all, what is written in this book?

What is the book For Stars of Destiny: An Autobiography?

The name of this book is ‘Four Stars of Destiny: An Autobiography’, which was written by former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane. Naravane was the Chief of the Indian Army from 31 December 2019 to 30 April 2022. This is a book of 448 pages. It tells the complete story of General Naravane’s 40-year military career. This includes stories like the first meeting with China in Sikkim, the encounter with the Chinese army in Galwan, firing on the LoC, implementing ceasefire with Pakistan and preparing the army for modern warfare.

According to the report of Economic Times, the book is still unpublished i.e. it has not been printed. It cannot be purchased in India, although it is listed on Amazon, but not available. This book was originally scheduled to be released in January 2024, then was postponed to April 2024. Currently, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) and the Indian Army are reviewing its security, because it contains sensitive information. Like Ladakh standoff of 2020 and Agneepath scheme. The publisher has been asked not to circulate extracts or soft copies. General Naravane had said in 2025 that now it is in the hands of the publisher and MoD.

What major revelations were made in the book?

According to the report of The Federal, there are two big revelations in this book…

1- 2020 Ladakh standoff (with China): On the night of 31 August 2020, the Chinese PLA sent tanks and soldiers to Rechin La Pass on the South Bank of Pangong Tso. The tanks were a few hundred meters away from the Indian Army’s positions. The situation was close to ‘tense and breaking point’. Northern Command Chief Lieutenant General Yogesh Joshi called General Naravane at 8:15 pm. Naravane immediately called Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Ajit Doval, CDS Bipin Rawat, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and asked, ‘What are my orders?’

In the unpublished book, Naravane wrote that he was handed a ‘hot potato’, all the responsibility was put on him. He took a deep breath, sat quietly for a few minutes and listened to the ticking of the clock on the wall. No clear firing order came. There were protocols not to fire ‘from top to clearance’.

The book also mentions the Galwan clash that took place in June 2020, where the PLA suffered ‘fatal casualties’ for the first time in 20 years. Chinese President Xi Jinping will not forget this.

2- Agneepath Scheme: The army was surprised by this scheme launched in June 2022. It was ‘Bolt from the Blue’ for the Navy and Air Force. The original proposal of the Army regarding this scheme was a small pilot project, retaining 75% of the recruits and releasing 25%. But in the final scheme only 25% were retained, whereas the rule was made to release 75% after 4 years. Naravane called the starting salary of Rs 20 thousand ‘unacceptable’. He wrote, ‘How to compare the life that a trained soldier can give with daily wage labour?’ Later the price was increased to Rs 30 thousand.

What did Rahul Gandhi say in Lok Sabha?
During the budget session on 2 February 2026, the Motion of Thanks was being debated in the Lok Sabha. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi showed a printout of a magazine article, which contains articles from the typescript of the book. Rahul Gandhi said that the articles in the book are ‘100 percent genuine’. He mentioned a section related to China, especially the Doklam standoff of 2017 and the situation of Chinese tanks in Ladakh in 2020.

Rahul Gandhi said that the book of the former Army Chief shows that the Chinese tanks were very close to the Indian positions, i.e. a few hundred meters away on the Kailash range. He raised questions on the government by linking it to national security.
This book is currently under review because it contains sensitive details. Rahul Gandhi used it in the Lok Sabha to question the government, which caused a huge uproar. The book throws new light on big issues like national security, Ladakh standoff and Agneepath.

India’s three forces, Army, Navy and Air Force, are now going through a major change. This change is coming in the form of integrated theater commands, which will make the army more agile, united and stronger. India’s military is now at an inflection point. That means, we are moving from the old system to the new, modern system.

What are theater commands and why are they important?

According to the report of Hindustan Times, at present the three services in the Indian Army (Army, Navy, Air Force) work separately. Each service has its own network, doctrine, intelligence and command system. If the army needs air support, it has to go through many layers, which causes delays. This is an old system dating back to the British Raj, where services work in separate ‘silos’ (separate rooms).

But now there will be these major changes in theater commands:

• On the basis of geographical areas (theaters), all three services will be brought under one commander.
• A single commander will control the troops, weapons and resources of all the services.
• Decisions will be faster, operations will be more precise and unified.
• This will also include cyber, space and other domains.

It is already in big armies like America, China and Russia. China has 5 theater commands, which are very effective. This is necessary for India because there is a threat from both China and Pakistan in the neighborhood and security has to be increased in the Indian Ocean as well.

How many theater commands will India have?

Now the matter has reached three theater commands. These:

1. Western Theater Command: Mainly focus on Pakistan.
2. Eastern Theater Command: Focus mainly on China.
3. Maritime Theater Command: Security of the Indian Ocean, 7,000 km coast, 1,062 islands and neighboring countries (Maldives, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mauritius, Seychelles).

The existing tri-service command of Andaman and Nicobar is under CDS. There is discussion on including it in Eastern or Maritime, because China is the main threat. Pakistan and China are also facing the challenge of how to handle the Northern Command.

When was the plan for Integrated Theater Command made?

• The Kargil Review Committee of 1999 had recommended CDS and theater commands.
• On August 15, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi created the CDS post.
• The first CDS, General Bipin Rawat, rapidly escalated theater commands through a top-down approach, but he died in a helicopter crash in December 2021, bringing the work to a halt.
• Now CDS General Anil Chauhan is working with bottom-up, consensus approach. Both CDS consider theater commands as essential.
• General Chauhan has created a unified communication backbone, through which the commanders of the three services can talk directly.
• Defense Minister Rajnath Singh approved the concept in principle. NSA Ajit Doval saw the proposals. All three service chiefs and CDS agreed in a document.
• PM Modi gave the directive to create theater commands at the Combined Commanders Conference in Kolkata in September.

Now the note will be sent to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). This can happen before the retirement of General Chauhan on 30 May 2026.

Big signal of big preparation for Budget 2026-27
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget on 1 February 2026. Capital expenditure i.e. new purchases have been increased by 22% in the defense budget. There has been a 24% increase in the modernization budget. This budget is the ‘first hard indicator’ for theater commands that the government is serious. This money will go for infrastructure, integrated commands, new assets. Its focus is to increase indigenous manufacturing and dominance in Asia.

Decision taken as per the lessons learned from Operation Sindoor
After the Pahalgam attack in 2025, for the first time in Operation Sindoor, Service Chiefs and CDS sat in one room and coordinated. The result was that there should be a swift and precise attack on the terror camps. PM Modi said, ‘Do whatever you want’ i.e. no micromanagement. This shows the benefits of operation theater commands.

Union Public Service Commission has given big news for the youth who are dreaming of becoming officers in the army. UPSC has released the final result of Combined Defense Services Examination (CDS-I) 2025. With this result, the wait of those candidates who had passed the difficult stages like written examination, SSB interview and medical test is over. A total of 535 candidates have been declared finally successful in the merit list released by the Commission.

This time in the CDS-I result, along with men, women have also performed brilliantly. The successful candidates include 473 men and 62 women. All these candidates have been selected for admission to different courses of the Officers Training Academy (OTA) of the Indian Army. This selection has been made for the 123rd Short Service Commission (Men) course and 37th Short Service Commission (Women, Non-Technical) course.

UPSC has clarified that this result has been prepared after the interview and medical examination conducted by the Service Selection Board i.e. SSB of the Defense Ministry. After being successful in the written examination, the candidates were called for SSB interview, where their personality, leadership ability, mental strength and team work were tested. After this, through medical test it was seen whether the candidates are physically fit for army service or not.

However, the Commission has also informed that the candidature of the selected candidates is still temporary i.e. provisional. This means that all their necessary investigations are yet to be completed. The birth certificate of the candidates, documents related to educational qualification and other important documents will be scrutinized by the Army Headquarters. If any deficiency or mistake is found in the documents at any stage, the candidature can also be cancelled.

How to check results?

If you also want to see your result, then its process is quite easy. First of all go to the official website of UPSC. On the home page, you will see a link “Final Result: Combined Defense Services Examination (I), 2025 (OTA)” in the ‘What’s New’ section. On clicking this link, a PDF file will open, in which the merit list of successful candidates will be given. This list includes both roll number and name. You can search your roll number or name with the help of Ctrl + F. It would be better to download this PDF and keep it safe for future.

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Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan said on Saturday (October 11, 2025) that Uttarakhand, being a border state, is a strategically very sensitive and important state and there is a need to be alert and cautious on the China border.

Addressing a rally of ex-servicemen here, General Chauhan said that Uttarakhand has a 350 km border with China and 275 km border with Nepal, which makes the state sensitive and strategically important from the security point of view.

India needs to remain alert on LAC

He said, ‘Uttarakhand’s border with China is very quiet and hence sometimes we forget that Uttarakhand is a border state. We should keep in mind that we have some differences with China regarding LAC (Line of Control) and border and sometimes these come to the fore, like in the Barahoti area. For this reason we all have to be alert and cautious.

Chief of Defense Staff appealed to the people of the border areas to actively participate in the security of the border and said that monitoring the borders is not only the responsibility of the army, but the awareness of the local people is also equally important.

VIDEO | Addressing the veterans at an event in Dehradun, Chief of Defense Staff Gen Anil Chauhan says, “Uttarakhand is a border state, sharing its borders with Nepal and China. Although there is peace at the border with China, some differences exist, and we should remain… pic.twitter.com/flNnZQvH60

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 11, 2025

CDS recited the famous dialogue of the film ‘Aankhen’

Describing the people living in border areas, especially ex-servicemen, as ‘eyes’, the CDS said that if they remain alert, the borders will remain even stronger. On this occasion, he also recited the famous dialogue of the film ‘Aankhen’, ‘No one can touch the borders of that country, which is guarded by the eyes’.

General Chauhan also said that on the lines of the way cooperative societies supply food to the Army in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, now this system will be started in Uttarakhand also. He said that at present the products related to dairy and animal husbandry are being taken from cooperative societies and in the coming time, fresh ration will also be taken from them. This will not only ensure smooth supply of goods to the border areas, but will also provide economic benefits to the local people.

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Taking a big decision, the Central Government has extended the tenure of Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan. In a statement issued by the Ministry of Defense on Wednesday, it was said that General Chauhan will now continue as Secretary of CDS and Military Affairs (DMA) till 30 May 2026 or till the next order. This decision is being considered very important in terms of the country’s military strategy and future preparations.

General Chauhan became the second CDS of the country

General Anil Chauhan was appointed the second CDS of the country in September 2022. He reached the post after the late General Bipin Rawat. According to the current rules, CDS can hold this post till the age of 65 years. In view of the efficiency and military leadership of General Chauhan, the government has decided to carry forward his tenure.

Why the decision to increase the term?

This decision has been taken at a time when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government is emphasizing on theory and joint command structure in the army. The post of CDS has become even more important amidst the continuous challenges from China and Pakistan. Increased tenure will not only maintain stability in military leadership, but will also strengthen the modern war strategy and integration of the army.

General Chauhan’s military journey

General Anil Chauhan joined the Indian Army in 1981. His career has been more than four decades long. He has received many honors for his service, including –

1. Supreme specific service medal
2. Best war service medal
3. Highly specific service medal
4. Army medal
5. Special service medal

This honor is evidence that he has always led the army strongly even in difficult circumstances.

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What are the responsibilities of CDS?

The job of the Chief of Defense Staff is to create better coordination between the Army, Air Force and Navy. He is the leading military advisor to the Defense Minister. However, the CDS cannot directly order the heads of the three armies. Nevertheless, it is their responsibility to strengthen cooperation and strategy between the three armies.

The post of CDS is also special because it shapes the big decisions and policies related to the security of the country.

How much does CDS get salary?

The post of Chief of Defense Staff is considered to be four-star rank. They get the same salary and facilities that are given to the three army chiefs. While the heads of the three armies retire on completion of 62 years of age or three years, there is no fixed deadline for CDS. They remain in this post for a maximum of 65 years.

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Chief Defense President (CDS) General Anil Chauhan said on Wednesday (24 September 2025) that the use of the Air Force during the 1962 Indo-China war would have reduced the Chinese invasion significantly. He said that this step could have been called ‘stress -enhancing’ then, but now it is not as it happened in ‘Operation Sindoor’.

Regarding the war with China 63 years ago, he said that advance policy should not have been implemented equally to Ladakh and NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency) or present Arunachal Pradesh. He said that this is because the history of the dispute between the two regions is different and the land is also completely different. Following similar policies was flawed. The CDS said that the security situation has changed in the last few years and the nature of war has also changed.

‘Thought to use the Air Force, but …’

General Chauhan made this comment in a recorded video message aired during the release of the revised autobiography of the late Lieutenant General SP Thorat in Pune. Lieutenant General Thorat was the ‘General Officer Commanding-in-Chief’ of the Eastern Command before the Indo-China War. The CDS said that Lieutenant General Thorat had thought of using the Indian Air Force, but the then government did not allow such a step.

‘India benefits a big benefit in the 1962 war’

On the use of the Air Force, the CDS said that during the 1962 war, it would have greatly benefited. The CDS said that the use of aerial power would have reduced the speed of Chinese invasion. He said, ‘This would have given a lot of time for the army to prepare. In those days, I think the use of Air Force was considered stress enhancing. I think this is not true now, and Operation Sindoor is an accurate example of this.

The Central Government, who is trying to create a shared and integrated theater command in the country, has extended the term of CDS General Anil Chauhan till May 2026. In this regard, the Ministry of Defense has issued an official statement and informed about the expansion of service.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the Cabinet appointment Committee (ACC) has approved the service expansion of Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Wednesday (September 24). According to the Ministry of Defense, CDS General Chauhan, by 30 May 2026, will also serve the post of Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Military Affairs (DMA). It was also said that till 30 May 2026 or till no new order comes, they will remain in both their positions. CDS under the Ministry of Defense also serves as Secretary of DMA.

General Chauhan was appointed to the post of CDS on 28 September 2022. Everyone was shocked about his appointment. Because, he retired from the Army a few months ago from Lieutenant General Rank and was posted as Military-Advisor in National Security Council Secretariat under NSA Ajit Doval.

Government has approved the extension of services of general anil chauhan as Chief of defense staff (#CDS) & Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, UPTO 30th May 2026, Or Until Further Orders, Whichever is Earlier.

Commissioned in 1981, Gen Chauhan has had a distinguished…

– Ministry of Defense, Government of India (@SPOKESPERSONMOD) September 24, 2025

By posing a Lieutenant General Rank officer as Chief of Defense Staff, the government not only provided the rank of General after retirement but also appointed the country’s largest military commander. General Chauhan, who joined the Indian Army (Army) in the year 1981, has served on staff and command posts in different parts of the country.

Before him (now late) General Bipin Rawat was appointed by the government on 30 December 2019. But in the year 2021, General Rawat lost his life in a helicopter accident with 13 military officers, including his wife. General Rawat was the first defense head (CDS) of the country.

The government had created the post of CDS so that, separate commands of all three wings of the army i.e. Army, Air Force and Navy can be integrated and made the theater command. The jointness and integration of the government’s armed forces was a deep setback due to the untouchable death of General Rawat. But General Chauhan came and worked to advance this vision.

The Army and the Navy are ready to integrate the armed forces but have been objected by the Air Force. In such a situation, preparing the Air Force for the theater command before the government can prove to be a crooked kheer. This is the reason that the government has extended the tenure of General Chauhan till May 2026 so that sharing and integration can be strengthened before making the theater command.

At the recent Combined Commanders Conference held in Kolkata, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing all the top commanders of the armed forces, described self -reliance, jointness and innovation as the mantra of victory.

Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has clearly said that it is very important and will remain today or tomorrow. General Dwivedi’s statement came after the statement of Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh in which he opposed the creation of theater command.

Apart from the release of a book written on Operation Sindoor in the country’s capital Delhi, the Chief of Army, while talking to the media on-camera, said that the theater command will be formed. Because it is very much needed. General Dwivedi also explained why the theater command is needed.

Army Chief gave information about the need for theater command

According to Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, “In today’s time, the battle is not only fighting the army, but BSF, ITBP, ISRO, Civil Aviation, Railways and Intelligence agencies also participate in the fight. In such a situation, the Unity of Command is very important. So the country needs a (top) commander who can give directions to all.”

On the lines of the top armies of the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also insisted on creating a common and integrated command of the country’s armies (Army, Air Force and Navy). The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has targeted to create theater command even in its election manifesto of 2024.

The post of Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) was also created in the year 2019 so that the process of creating theater commands can be easier. The current CDS General Anil Chauhan and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi are also in favor of creating theater commands in the country.

What did the Air Force chief say about the theater command

However, the Air Force chief has lodged his objection to the creation of theater command. In the Ran-dialogue program held at Army War College, Mhow in Indore last month, Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh advocated to maintain an operational responsibility on the shoulders of the heads of the CDS and the three wings of the army instead of creating the theater command.

Air Force strength will be divided by the formation of theater command

The Air Force chief believes that the Air Force has very few fighter jets and other military aircraft. If the theater command is created, then the challenge of distributing the power of the Air Force will be revealed. Currently, there are 17 different commands of Army, Air Force and Navy in the country. Apart from this, there are three (03) shared commands. But under the reform in the defense sector, only 4-5 commands will remain when the Army, Air Force and Navy are formed.

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