Which one among the following statements about the Department of Defence (DoD) is not correct?
- (a)It is headed by the Defence Secretary.
- (b)It deals with defence policy and planning.
- (c)It facilitates the restructuring of military commands for optimal utilization of resources.
- (d)It is responsible for defence cooperation with foreign countries.
Correct — C, the claim that the Department of Defence facilitates the restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources. That is the charter of the Department of Military Affairs, not of the Department of Defence. When the Department of Military Affairs was created on 1 January 2020 with the Chief of Defence Staff as its Secretary, it was given the three Services and the work of promoting jointness, including in terms the facilitation of restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources through joint or theatre commands. The Department of Defence kept defence policy and planning, the defence budget, defence cooperation with foreign countries and the civilian administration of the ministry, and it continues to be headed by the Defence Secretary. So the three other statements are correct and this one is not.
- (a)It is headed by the Defence Secretary. — The Department of Defence is headed by the Defence Secretary, who is additionally responsible for coordinating the work of all the departments in the Ministry of Defence. The statement is correct.
- (b)It deals with defence policy and planning. — Defence policy and planning is core Department of Defence work and remained with it after the 2020 reorganisation.
- (d)It is responsible for defence cooperation with foreign countries. — Defence cooperation with foreign countries is handled by the Department of Defence. The statement is correct.
The Ministry of Defence is organised into departments, of which the Department of Defence and the Department of Military Affairs are the two that this item turns on. The Department of Defence, under the Defence Secretary, handles policy, the budget, international cooperation and the civilian side of defence administration. The Department of Military Affairs, created in 2020 under the Chief of Defence Staff, handles the Services themselves and the drive towards jointness — joint training, joint procurement of items exclusive to the Services, and the restructuring of commands. The remaining departments cover defence production, research and development, and ex-servicemen's welfare.
The division to hold is between the civilian and the uniformed department. Anything about policy, money and foreign relations sits with the Department of Defence under the Defence Secretary; anything about the Services themselves and about making them operate jointly sits with the Department of Military Affairs under the Chief of Defence Staff. Restructuring of commands is the clearest example of the second kind, and the phrase 'optimal utilisation of resources' is lifted from the Department of Military Affairs charter. The trap in this item is that all four statements describe real functions performed within one ministry, so the test is attribution rather than truth.
- The Ministry of Defence has five departments, including the Department of Defence and the Department of Military Affairs.
- The Department of Defence is headed by the Defence Secretary, who also coordinates the whole ministry.
- The Department of Military Affairs was created on 1 January 2020 with the Chief of Defence Staff as its Secretary.
- Facilitating the restructuring of military commands, including joint or theatre commands, is a Department of Military Affairs function.
- Defence policy, the defence budget and defence cooperation with foreign countries remain with the Department of Defence.
Every statement describes something the ministry really does; the item is decided by which department does it.
- Assuming the Department of Defence covers everything defence-related because of its name.
- Attributing jointness and command restructuring to the civilian department.
- Confusing the Chief of Defence Staff's role as Secretary of a department with operational command over the Services.
Asked as a negative-stem item where all four statements describe genuine Ministry of Defence functions and only the department they are attributed to separates the false one.
What are the duties of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as Head of the Department of Military Affairs ? 1. Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee 2. Exercise military command over the three Service Chiefs 3. Principal Military Advisor to Defence Minister on all tri-service matters Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- (a) 1, 2 and 3
- (b) 1 and 2 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1 and 3 only
Answer(d) 1 and 3 only
The other department in the same ministry, tested the same way. Prelims asked what the Chief of Defence Staff does as head of the Department of Military Affairs; this item asks what belongs to the Department of Defence instead.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Department of Military Affairs, created in 2020, is headed by
- (a)the Defence Secretary
- (b)the Chief of Defence Staff
- (c)the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee by rotation
- (d)the Secretary, Defence Production
Answer(b) the Chief of Defence Staff — who serves as its Secretary.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of these remains with the Department of Defence after the 2020 reorganisation?
- (a)Promotion of jointness in training among the Services
- (b)Defence cooperation with foreign countries
- (c)Procurement exclusive to the Services
- (d)Restructuring of military commands
Answer(b) Defence cooperation with foreign countries — the other three moved to the Department of Military Affairs.