INTER-SERVICES ORGANIZATION ACT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)
Context: 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.
Inter-Services Organisations (ISOs) (Command, Control, and Discipline) Act
- About: The Act grants authority to Commanders-in-Chief and Officers-in-Command of ISOs to control service personnel under their command.
- Objective: This empowerment aims to ensure effective maintenance of discipline and administration within the armed forces.
o The Act emphasizes the need to maintain the unique service conditions of each individual service while exercising control over personnel.
- Features:
1.Inter-services Organisation: It will be deemed to have been constituted under the Bill.
o These include the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the Defence Space Agency, and the National Defence Academy.
o The central government may constitute an Inter-services Organisation which has personnel belonging to at least two of the three services: the army, the navy, and the air force.
2.Control of Inter-services Organisations: The act empowers the Commander-in-Chief or the Officer-in-Command of an Inter-services Organisation to exercise command and control over the personnel serving in or attached to it.
3.Other forces under central government: The central government may notify any force raised and maintained in India to which the Bill will apply. This would be in addition to army, navy, and air force personnel.
4.Commander-in-Chief: The officers eligible to be appointed as the Commander-in-Chief or Officer-in-Command are: (i) a General Officer of the regular Army (above the rank of Brigadier), (ii) a Flag Officer of the Navy (rank of Admiral of the Fleet, Admiral, Vice-Admiral, or Rear-Admiral), or (iii) an Air Officer of the Air Force (above the rank of group captain).
5.Commanding Officer: The act provides for a Commanding Officer who will be in command of a unit, ship, or establishment.
