Defence Ministry To Have Army, Navy, Air Force Joint Secretaries
February 12, 2020
The Defence Ministry will have joint secretaries from the three services because the government is considering a proposal for appointment of three officers from the military , Navy and Air Force during this regard.
A proposal has been sent to the cupboard committee on Appointments for the approval of appointing three Major General-rank officials from the military , Navy and Air Force as Joint Secretaries within the Department of Military Affairs, Defence officials told India Today TV.
The officers whose names are sent for approval include Major General Narayanan, flag officer RK Dhir and Air Vice Marshal SK Jha.
The Chief of Defence Staff-led department also has Indian Administrative Services officers including Rajiv Singh Thakur and Shantanu working for it.
The civilians have also been inducted into the DMA along side other staff from the soldiers Headquarters cadre who man the important positions within the department.
The CDS has also divided the work between the civilian and military joint secretaries during a manner where the IAS officers are handling the work mostly associated with where they need to affect other ministries and civilian departments.
The parliamentary work is being done by the IAS officers. Most of the work associated with three services of the Defence Ministry has come to the DMA while the leftover residual work has been assigned to Joint Secretary (Armed Forces) in Department of Defence.
The DMA is an addition to the four existing verticals within the Union Defence Ministry –the departments of defence, defence research, defence production and development and ex-service welfare.
The notification said that the new department would handle the soldiers , integrated headquarters of the ministry of defence, the Territorial Army , procurement exclusive to services except capital acquisitions and jointness in procurement, training and staffing for the services through joint planning and integration of their requirements.
It will facilitate the restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through the establishment of joint/theatre commands.
Courtesy: Opera News