About CDS post • Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces (CDS) is the military head and chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Indian Armed Forces. • The Chief of Defence Staff is the senior-most and highest-ranking uniformed officer on active duty in the Indian military, and is the principal staff officer and chief military adviser to the Minister of Defence. • The Chief also heads the Department of Military Affairs. The first Chief of Defence Staff was Mr Bipin Rawat who took office on 1 January 2020, and held it until his death in a helicopter crash on 8 December 2021. • The CDS is a four-star officer selected from among the serving officers of the Indian Armed Forces. • While being "first among equals" among the service chiefs, the CDS is a single-point military advisor to the defence minister. • The CDS is assisted by a deputy, the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff. The CDS heads the Department of Militar...
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