Rajnath Singh authorises Defence Chief to issue joint orders to 3 services 

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jun 25, 2025 08:05 IST

In a major step towards modernisation and transformation of the Armed Forces, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has authorised the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) & Secretary, Department of Military Affairs (DMA) to issue Joint Instructions and Joint Orders for all three Services. This marks a shift from the earlier system wherein Instructions/Orders pertaining to two or more Services were issued by each Service separately.

The first Joint Order on ‘Approval, Promulgation and Numbering of Joint Instructions and Joint Orders’ released on June 24, 2025, emphasises the need to streamline procedures, eliminate redundancies and enhance cross-Service cooperation.

This initiative lays the foundation for improved transparency, coordination and administrative efficiency in the three Services. It also marks the beginning of a new era of jointness and integration, reinforcing the Armed Forces' unity of purpose in serving the Nation.

The move comes amid the government's efforts to roll out the theaterisation model for greater synergy and jointness among the Army, Navy and the Air Force.

"In a major step towards modernisation and transformation of the armed forces, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has authorised the chief of defence staff and secretary, department of military affairs to issue joint instructions and joint orders for all three services, " the ministry said.

Under the theaterisation model, the government seeks to integrate the capabilities of the army, air force and navy and optimally utilise their resources for wars and operations. According to the plan, each of the theatre commands will have units of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and all of them will work as a single entity looking after security challenges in a specified geographical territory.

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With inputs from PTI