New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS): The need for a Joint Services Act to integrate the three armed forces, ahead of the creation of the post of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), was taken up during the ongoing Army Commanders' Conference in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Officials said discussions at the conference also featured around rollout of training for Army personnel in the fields of space, artificial intelligence and military education, keeping in mind the changing spectrums of war and conflicts.
Discussions for the creation of a Joint Services Act by the government featured in the conference as Army Commanders felt that its timely implementation will enable the three armed forces to create arrangements and structures that will help in their synergy and effective integration.
At the present, the three services - the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, function in accordance with their own individual Acts that have been passed by the Parliament.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the creation of a post of Chief of Defence Staff while delivering his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort this year.
"Our armed forces are the pride of the nation. To further sharpen coordination between all three forces, India will have a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). This is going to make the forces even more effective. The new post will oversee all the three wings of the armed forces," Modi had said.
"Restructuring of the Army headquarters is in process and some approvals have been accorded by the government. It has been decided that restructuring in totality will commence on receipt of full government sanction to the proposals, whenever the same is received," said a statement from the Army.
As per sources, the Defence Ministry has formed a panel of top bureaucrats and officials from the three services to deliberate on the creation of the CDS post subsequent to Modi's announcement.
The top Commanders also discussed about operational readiness of the Indian Army including its artillery ammunition inventory. The inventory has been shored up recently with the import of 155-mm excalibur artillery ammunition from the US and the process is underway to induct the 155-mm Dhanush Towed Gun System.
Officials said it has been further decided that the system of Honour Code, which instills moral and ethical standards in officers, will soon be rolled out.
Other issues that were discussed in the conference include those pertaining to human resources development and employment like selection of non-empanelled officers for foreign and UN postings, the issue of ex-servicemen status for Military Nursing Officers, pensions for emergency commissioned officers in 1965 and 1971 as well as enhanced grants for those invalidated out of service within ten years owing to injuries and disabilities.