After months of deliberation, the NDA government first sanctioned the post of Chief of Defence Staff to establish a single point of contact between the three branches of the defence forces and the legislative and executive. Outgoing Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has been appointed as the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff. General Rawat was named the CDS a day before he was to retire from service after completing his three-year term as the Chief of Army Staff. His term as CDS will extend upto three years after the Central government amended the rules extending the age of retirement to 65 years.