What are the duties of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as Head of the Department of Military Affairs? 1. Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee 2. Exercise military command over the three Service Chiefs 3. Principal Military Advisor to Defence Minister on all tri-service matters Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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YESPYQ · Accepted Answer

Correct answer: 1 and 3 only. Statement 1 is correct : The CDS serves as the Perma- nent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC), en- suring coordination and integration among the Army, Navy, and Air Force. This role is a key responsibility of the CDS. Statement 2 is incorrect : The CDS does not have direct mil- itary command over the three service chiefs (Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, and Chief of Air Staff). Each Service Chief retains operational command over their respective force. Instead, the CDS acts as a coordinator and advisor to en- sure jointness and integration across the services. Statement 3 is correct : The CDS acts as the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister, specifically on tri-service (joint military) matters, while individual Service Chiefs advise on ser- vice-specific issues. This is one of the primary roles of the CDS. International Relations and Current Affairs 661 89

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