Parliamentary committee gives nod to bill on disciplinary powers for future theatre commanders

New Delhi: As the ambitious project of integrated theatre command is in the final stage of being announced by the Government, the parliamentary standing committee on defence has given the nod to bring a bill to enable all existing tri-service and future theatre commanders to exercise disciplinary powers over personnel under them.

The committee has backed the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023 which was introduced by the defence ministry in March this year. The bill was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence.

The committee in its report tabled today has supported the bill and sought its passing without any amendments.

As of now, the personnel of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force are governed in accordance with the provisions contained in their specific Service Acts — the Army Act 1950, Navy Act 1957, Air Force Act 1950.

When these Acts were enacted, most of the service organisations were largely composed of personnel from a single service. However, presently there exist several inter-services organisations (ISO) such as Andaman & Nicobar Command, Strategic Forces Command, Defence Space Agency and joint training establishments like the National Defence Academy, and National Defence College, where personnel of different services work together.

Despite the fact that several inter-services organisations are fully operational, the commander-in-chief or officer-in-command of the inter-services organisations are not empowered to exercise disciplinary and administrative powers over personnel belonging to other services.

Officers of respective services are empowered to exercise disciplinary powers over service personnel under the respective service acts only. Hence, personnel serving in these inter-services organisations need to be reverted to their parent service units for undergoing any disciplinary or administrative action.

This new bill comes at a time when India is moving towards having theatre commands that will see personnel from all three services under one commander, who can be from any service depending on the theatre.

The Parliamentary Committee in its report said that it is learnt that for the purpose of the bill, an ISO will have to be constituted/notified/declared based on the capability of the organisation to execute requisite disciplinary powers.

(Defence Watch– India’s Defence News centre that places the spotlight on Defence Manufacturing, Defence Technology, Strategy and Military affairs is on Twitter. Follow us here and stay updated.)