CDS Full Form in Army & UPSC Exam

CDS: Chief of Defence Staff

In the Indian army, CDS stands for “Chief of Defence Staff“. It is the professional tri-service chief of the Indian Armed Forces and the senior-most uniformed military adviser to the Government of India. General Bipin Rawat was the first CDS of India. He was appointed on 30 December 2019 and assumed office from 1 January 2020. Gen. Bipin Rawat has died on 08 December 2021 in an IAF Mi-17 helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu. Along with him his wife and members of his personal staff also died in the crash.

A Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will have the same salary and perquisites as the three service chiefs (who are also four-star Generals). Apart from heading the department of military affairs, he will also hold the charge of permanent chairman, chiefs of staff committee (CoSC). While the CDS will act as the principal military adviser to the defence minister on all tri-services matters, the three service chiefs will continue to advise the minister on matters exclusively concerning their respective services. The department of military affairs will focus on promoting jointness in procurement, training and staffing for the tri-services.

The position was first officially suggested in 1999 following the Kargil War through the recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee. Although a long-talked-about position in India, the official announcement was made public by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech on 15 August 2019 at Red Fort, New Delhi. On 24 December 2019, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) formally announced the creation of the position, a four-star general, a tri-service Chief, that shall lead the defence forces as well as take up other roles such as head of the Department of Military Affairs under the Ministry of Defence.

CDS: Combined Defence Services

CDS stands for “Combined Defence Services“. CDS is an All-India level exam conducted by UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) This exam is a Central Government designed and runned examination conducted for the recruitment of Commissioned Officers in India Army, Navy and Air Force of India. Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam is for Graduates and Post- Graduates only, and finds high importance in the Jobs area. This is also followed by Personal interview which is equally difficult to crack. Only unmarried graduates are eligible to sit for the exam.

The Notification for the CDS examination is usually released in the months of October and June, and the examinations for the same are conducted in February and November month respectively. The candidates who qualified in the written exam are shortlisted for an interview by a Services Selection Board (SSB) which evaluates a candidate’s suitability for a career in the Indian Armed Forces. SSB interview lasts for approximately a week, during this process a candidate undergoes various physical, psychological and group tests to ascertain whether he is an officer material or not. Apart from SSB interview, Air Force academy (IAF) candidates who have applied for flying branch are tested for Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (PABT). After these tests, candidates undergo medical examination before finally admitted into their respective academies and after the successful completion of training, they are inducted into the armed forces.

CDS Eligibility Criteria 2022

To be eligible for CDS 2022 exam, candidates need to fulfill the following eligibility criteria.

Age Limits, Sex and Marital Status

• For Indian Military Academy (IMA), unmarried candidates born not earlier than January 2, 1997 and not later than January 1, 2002 can only apply.
• For Indian Naval Academy (IMA), unmarried male candidates born not earlier than January 2, 1997 and not later than January 1, 2002 are eligible.
• Candidates applying for Air Force Academy should be between 20 to 24 years as on January 1, 2021 (born not earlier than January 2, 1997 and not later than January 1, 2001).
• For Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Course for men), unmarried male candidates born not earlier than January 2, 1996 and not later than January 1, 2002 are eligible for the exam.
• For Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Women Non-Technical Course), candidates should be unmarried and born not earlier than January 2, 1996 and not later than January 1, 2002.

Educational Qualification

• For IMA and Officers’ Training Academy, candidates must be a graduate.
• For Indian Naval Academy, candidates must have a degree in Engineering from a recognised university.
• For Air Force Academy, a degree with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or Bachelor of Engineering is necessary.

Physical Fitness

• Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to CDS exam.

Other Full Forms of CDS