CDS Bipin Rawat to attend key meet on Jan 17

General Bipin Rawat will attend his first Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting in his new role as the Chief of Defence Staff on January 17, a senior government officer said on Monday.

Rawat took over as India’s first CDS on December 31.

The DAC, headed by the defence minister, is India’s top defence procurement body that evaluates and green lights acquisition proposals made by the armed forces.

Other members of the council are the minister of state for defence, the three service chiefs, the defence secretary, secretary defence research and development, secretary defence production and director general, acquisition. As Chief of Defence Staff, Rawat holds the charge of permanent chairman, chiefs of staff committee -- a panel consisting of the three service chiefs.

One of Rawat’s key responsibilities as CDS is to promote the use of indigenous equipment by the services at a time when the armed forces are heavily dependent on imported military hardware.

As CDS, he heads the department of military affairs and is also principal military adviser to the defence minister on all matters related to the tri-services.

He has taken over as Chief of Defence Staff at a time when the three services are facing a worrying fund shortage that could derail some of their modernisation efforts.