General Bipin Rawat appointed India’s first Chief of Defence Staff
New Delhi, Dec 30: Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat was on Monday appointed the country's first Chief of Defence Staff whose mandate will be to bring in convergence in functioning of the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force.
According to a government order, Gen Rawat has been appointed CDS with effect from December 31.
Gen. Rawat assumed charge as Chief of Army Staff on December 31, 2016. He was to retire on Tuesday from the service. Before becoming the Army Chief, he handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the LoC with Pakistan, the LAC with China and in the Northeast.
In a landmark decision, the Cabinet Committee on Security had last Tuesday approved the creation of the CDS who will act as the principal military adviser to the defence minister on all matters relating to tri-services.
A key mandate of the CDS will be to facilitate restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint/theatre commands.
Officials said bringing about jointness in operation, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance of the three services within three years will be another major mandate of the CDS.
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Stray dogs in Delhi-NCR: SC modifies direction, says canines be released after sterilisation
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday modified its August 11 direction prohibiting release of stray dogs from dog shelters in Delhi-NCR, and said the picked up canines be sterilised, vaccinated and released back in the same area.
A three-judge special bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath made clear that this relocation shall not apply to dogs infected with rabies or suspected to be infected with rabies and those displaying aggressive behaviour.
The bench, also comprising Justices Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaraia, said the August 11 direction prohibiting release of stray dogs from dog shelters shall be kept in abeyance for the time being.
The bench directed the municipal authorities to create dedicated feeding space where people can feed stray dogs.
It said the feeding areas shall be created by civic bodies keeping in view population, concentration of stray dogs in particular municipal ward.
The bench made it clear that feeding of stray dogs shall not be permitted on the streets.
It said notice boards shall be placed near designated feeding areas mentioning that stray dogs shall only be fed in such areas.
It said persons found feeding stray dogs on the streets shall be liable to be proceeded with under relevant legal framework.
Expanding the scope of the matter pan-India, the bench impleaded all the states and Union Territories as parties in the matter and transferred to itself the pleas pending before different high courts on the issue of stray dogs.
It posted the matter for hearing after eight weeks.
The bench passed the order on the interim prayer seeking a stay on the August 11 direction.
The top court delivered its order in a suo motu case initiated on July 28 over a media report on stray dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children, in the national capital.
A two-judge bench of the apex court had on August 11 passed a slew of directions, including ordering the authorities in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad, to start picking up stray dogs from all localities "at the earliest" and relocate the canines to dog shelters.
