Indian Armed Forces: Organisation and Roles
This section covers Indian Armed Forces: Organisation and Roles. The exam tests the command chain, the difference between the three services and central armed police forces, and who is responsible for what.
Command and control
- The President of India is the Supreme Commander; actual political direction comes through the Ministry of Defence, headed by the Raksha Mantri.
- The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) is a four-star officer, principal military adviser to the Defence Minister and head of the Department of Military Affairs. The CDS is not the operational commander of the three services; each service chief commands its own service.
- The Chiefs of Staff Committee brings the three chiefs together. A unified command such as the Andaman and Nicobar Command has forces from more than one service; proposals for integrated theatre commands are still under discussion.
- The Army is organised into commands (for example Northern, Eastern, Western, Southern, Central, South Western) plus the Army Training Command. The Navy has Western, Eastern and Southern (training) commands. The Air Force has operational, maintenance and training commands.
Forces and roles
- The three services handle territorial defence, maritime security and air superiority. Central Armed Police Forces such as BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB are under the Ministry of Home Affairs; the Indian Coast Guard is under the Ministry of Defence.
- Aid to civil authority is a legal duty when civil administration needs help, usually on requisition.
Worked example
A Punjab district is flooded. The Deputy Commissioner needs helicopters and boats. The correct route is a request from the civil administration to the armed forces for aid to civil authority; the Army and Air Force then provide resources under the district administration's overall coordination. The BSF is not the default flood-relief agency, and the NDRF responds under the NDMA framework.
Traps
- Saying the CDS commands all three services.
- Placing the BSF under the Army or the Navy under the Home Ministry.
- Equating a joint or unified command with a service command.