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In a significant reform aimed at enhancing the efficiency and unity of India’s armed forces, the Ministry of Defence has notified new rules granting disciplinary powers to commanders of tri-service organisations, including theatre commands.
The rules, which operationalise the Inter-Services Organisation (Command, Control & Discipline) Act, 2023, officially come into effect from May 27, 2025.
This step marks an important move toward reinforcing jointness among the Army, Navy, and Air Force. According to the Ministry, the updated regulations are designed to ensure effective command and control within Inter-Services Organisations (ISOs), facilitating seamless coordination and operational effectiveness.
“The rules formulated under the Inter-Services Organisation (Command, Control and Discipline) Act, 2023, have now been notified through a gazette notification,” the Ministry of Defence confirmed on Wednesday (May 28, 2025).
The Act, passed by both houses of Parliament in August last year and subsequently approved by the President, grants Commanders-in-Chief and Officers-in-Command of tri-service organisations the authority to maintain discipline and manage administration across all service personnel under their command—without altering the foundational conditions unique to each individual service.
This move is seen as a long-awaited structural change, especially significant following the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), who oversees tri-service integration.
Until now, officers and personnel from the Army, Navy, and Air Force operating under tri-service commands continued to be governed solely by their respective service Acts—Army Act, 1950; Air Force Act, 1950; and Navy Act, 1957. Tri-service commanders had no authority to handle disciplinary matters, with erring personnel being sent back to their parent services for proceedings.
With the implementation of the new rules, commanders of joint organisations like the Andaman and Nicobar Command, Strategic Forces Command, and the Department of Military Affairs will now be empowered to enforce discipline as per the service Acts, streamlining administration and decision-making processes.
It has been reported previously, the introduction of theatre commands, which will place units from all three services under a unified command, is expected soon.
These reforms represent a critical evolution in India’s defence structure, aimed at improving synergy and readiness in joint military operations—an idea first put into practice 24 years ago with the creation of the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
This empowerment of theatre commanders is seen as a key enabler in the broader effort to modernize and unify India’s military command structure in an increasingly complex security environment.
