 NEW DELHI: With the Government unwilling to usher in meaningful reforms in higher defence management, India will continue to wrestle with the lack of real synergy between the armed forces and the defence ministry as well as among the Army, IAF and Navy themselves for the foreseeable future.
Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma did take over as the new chairman of the chiefs of staff committee (CoSC) from outgoing IAF chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik on Friday. But it could not detract from the fact that the creation of the crucial chief of defence staff (CDS) post remains as elusive as ever, despite the 12th anniversary of the 1999 Kargil conflict also being observed this week.
ACM Naik, who hangs his boots on Sunday, has reiterated his opposition to the CDS post, holding that India did not need it for the "next five to 10 years". The CoSC, however, has not ensured the requisite symbiosis needed in policy, procurement and operational matters among the armed forces.
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