The post of the Chief of Defence Staff was first proposed in the aftermath of the 1999 Kargil conflict (Illustration by Saurabh Singh/IndiaToday)

Government has approved the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). The officer to be appointed as Chief of Defence Staff will be a four-star General and will also head the Department of Military Affairs, announced Union minister Prakash Javadekar.

Javadekar added, "CDS will have all powers of a secretary-level officer. The files need not go through defence secretary and the CDS will be empowered to send to it directly to the defence minister."

Sources previously told India Today TV that among the priority areas for the new Chief of Defence Staff would be better utilisation of funds and more efficiency when it comes to procurement as well as better synergy between the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.

The post of the Chief of Defence Staff was first recommended after the 1999 Kargil conflict. A review committee set up to examine the armed forces' performance during the conflict, among other recommendations, suggested forming the post of a Chief of Defence Staff to work as a single-point advisor to the government on all matters military.

The Chief of Defence Staff was proposed to be a four-star or 'four-and-a-half-star' officer who would be senior to the three service chiefs, all of whom are four-star officers. A CDS, the committee and other analysts have argued, would better integrate the functioning of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.

In his Independence Day speech this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that his government would go ahead with the proposal to form the post of a Chief of Defence Staff. "To further sharpen coordination between the forces, I want to announce a major decision from the Red Fort: India will have a Chief of Defence Staff- CDS. This is going to make the forces even more effective," PM Modi had said in his speech.