Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed his delight over the appointment of General Bipin Rawat as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff.

In a series of tweets, PM Modi congratulated the former Army chief and wished him the very best for the new responsibility.

Praising Rawat, the Prime Minister said that “He is an outstanding officer who has served India with great zeal”.

I am delighted that as we begin the new year and new decade, India gets its first Chief of Defence Staff in General Bipin Rawat. I congratulate him and wish him the very best for this responsibility. He is an outstanding officer who has served India with great zeal.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 1, 2020

PM Modi in a tweet also paid homage to all those who have served and laid down their lives for the nation. He further recalled the valiant personnel who fought in Kargil, after which many discussions on reforming the military began, leading to the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff.

He said the institution of CDS “carries tremendous responsibility of modernising the military forces and would also reflect the hopes and aspirations of 1.3 billion Indians”.

On 15th August 2019, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I announced that India will have a Chief of Defence Staff. This institution carries tremendous responsibility of modernizing our military forces. It would also reflect the hopes and aspirations of 1.3 billion Indians.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 1, 2020

Creation of the Department of Military Affairs with requisite military expertise and institutionalisation of the post of CDS is a momentous and comprehensive reform that will help our country face the ever-changing challenges of modern warfare, the Prime Minister concluded.

Earlier in the day, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also extended his best wishes to General Rawat for a successful tenure ahead.

According to reports, General Bipin Rawat came to know about his appointment as the country first Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself on Monday night.

General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday took charge as the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Before taking charge, the former Army chief received a tri-services Guard of Honour.

On December 30 last year, General Bipin Rawat was named the first Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), a post created to make it the main point of contact for the government for dealing with defence forces’ issues.

On the occasion of the 73rd Independence Day last year. PM Modi had announced that India will have a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who will oversee the three forces – Army, Navy and Air Force.

The appointment of a CDS has been a long-pending issue with the defence ministry attending to it with a sense of urgency.

A high-level committee set up to examine the gaps in the country’s security system in the wake of the Kargil war in 1999 had called for appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as a single-point military adviser to the Defence Minister.

A group of ministers analysing required reforms in the national security system had also favoured appointing a chief of defence staff.

However, successive governments were unable to take a call on the sensitive issue.

In 2012, the Naresh Chandra Task force had recommended creating the post of a permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.