Question

UPSC Prelims 2024 Question:

What are the duties of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as Head of the Department of Military Affairs?

Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee

Exercise military command over the three Service Chiefs

Principal Military Advisor to Defence Minister on all tri-service matters

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1, 2 and 3
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1 and 3 only

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 4: 1 and 3 only

Detailed Solution

Explanation:

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) serves as the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC), which includes the three Service Chiefs (Army, Navy, Air Force). So, statement 1 is correct.
The CDS does not exercise military command over the three Service Chiefs. Each Service Chief retains operational command over their respective service. So, statement 2 is not correct.
The CDS acts as the Principal Military Advisor to the Defence Minister on all tri-service matters. So, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (4) is the correct answer.

Subject: Polity| Miscellaneous(pol)

Latest UPSC Exam 2026 Updates

Last updated on Sep, 2026

→ UPSC 2027 Notification will be released on 13 January 2027 at upsconline.nic.in.

Tags: factual UPSC Prelims 2024 UPSC Prelims 2024 Question

Prafulla Vats

Prafulla Vats is an experienced SEO and content strategist with over 4 years of expertise in driving organic growth across education and service niches. He specializes in crafting data-driven content strategies that help students and professionals access accurate, well-researched information. Through his work, he focuses on improving visibility, engagement, and trust through high-quality, SEO-optimized content.