New Delhi, May 28– In a significant step toward operational synergy among the armed forces, the Ministry of Defence has formally notified rules granting disciplinary powers to commanders of tri-services organisations, including the upcoming theatre commands. The changes take effect from May 27.
These rules implement provisions of the Inter-Services Organisation (Command, Control and Discipline) Act, 2023, which was passed by Parliament last August and received Presidential assent shortly thereafter.
“This is a long-awaited reform that will enhance the effectiveness of Inter-Services Organisations,” an official source in the Ministry of Defence told reporters on Wednesday. “The new rules are now in place through a gazette notification and will become operational from May 27, 2025.”
The Act allows Commanders-in-Chief and Officers-in-Command of tri-service formations to exercise disciplinary and administrative authority over personnel from the Army, Navy, and Air Force under their command. Until now, such commanders lacked any role in administering justice or enforcing discipline within their units.
The policy shift comes more than two decades after the establishment of India’s first integrated command — the Andaman and Nicobar Command in 2001 — and is seen as a crucial reform, particularly following the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
“The move is designed to strengthen jointness and bring about a more cohesive functioning of tri-services entities,” the ministry said in a statement. “It aims to enhance command and control across integrated structures.”
Despite the change, service personnel will continue to be governed by their respective Acts — the Army Act, 1950, Navy Act, 1957, and Air Force Act, 1950 — while serving in tri-service units. However, the new rules empower the heads of these units to invoke disciplinary and administrative powers as permitted under the existing service-specific laws.
Previously, disciplinary cases involving personnel in integrated formations required them to be returned to their parent service for action, often creating procedural delays and undermining unit discipline.
Currently, India’s prominent tri-service structures include the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the Strategic Forces Command, and the Department of Military Affairs under the CDS. Theatre commands, which are expected to be announced soon, will bring the concept full circle by placing unified leadership over troops from all three services.
“This step is not just administrative,” a defence official noted, “It’s about giving commanders the authority they need to run joint operations effectively without undermining individual service identities.”
