The Government has notified the Inter-Services Organisations (ISOs) (Command, Control, and Discipline) Act through a Gazette notification to be enforced with effect from May 10, 2024. In order to bolster effective command, control, and efficient functioning of the ISOs, the bill was passed by both the Houses of Parliament during the Monsoon Session of 2023 and received the assent of the President on August 15, 2023, a Ministry statement noted.
“The Act empowers Commanders-in-Chief and Officers-in-Command of ISOs to exercise control over Service personnel, serving under them, for effective maintenance of discipline and administration, without disturbing the unique service conditions of each individual Service,” the Ministry said. With the notification, the Act will empower the Heads of ISOs and pave the way for expeditious disposal of cases, avoid multiple proceedings and will be a step towards greater integration and jointness among the armed forces personnel, it stated.
Also read: Explained | The Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023
The Act comes ahead of the planned reorganisation of the Indian military into integrated theatre commands. It is essentially an ‘enabling Act’ and does not propose any change in the existing Service Acts/Rules/Regulations which are time-tested and have withstood judicial scrutiny over the last six decades or more, the Ministry had stated earlier.
The Ministry had earlier also stated that the Act would also pave the way for much greater integration and jointness amongst the three Services; lay a strong foundation for creation of joint structures in times to come and further improve the functioning of the armed forces.
In high level military reforms, the post of Chief of Defence Staff was created in 2019 with the mandate to ensure “jointness” of the three services in operations, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs, and maintenance. The top priority for the CDS is the proposed reorganisation of the armed forces into integrated theatre commands.
