NEW DELHI: The Government of India has taken a big step to make the Army, Navy, and Air Force work more closely and efficiently together. It has officially announced new rules under a law called the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Act, 2023. These rules came into effect on May 27.
This law was passed by Parliament in 2023 and approved by the President on August 15, 2023. It came into force on May 10, 2024. This law aims to allow senior officers to take better command and control of units where soldiers from more than one service (like Army, Navy, or Air Force) are working together.
Until now, different rules applied separately to Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel. But in joint organisations where all three forces work together—called Inter-Services Organisations (ISOs)—this sometimes caused confusion or delays in decisions, especially in handling discipline or day-to-day work.
Here’s what the new rules do:
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They clearly define what an Inter-Services Organisation is and who is in charge.
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If a senior officer is on leave or unavailable, someone else can officially take over, so there’s no confusion about leadership.
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Officers in charge can now take disciplinary action and handle administrative tasks for any personnel under them—whether from the Army, Navy, or Air Force.
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If any issue comes up that the rules don’t cover, it will be sent to the Central Government for a final decision.
Now that these rules are notified, the law is fully in place. This means quicker decisions, fewer delays in disciplinary matters, and better coordination in joint military operations.
The official notification was issued by Rear Admiral Vikram Menon from the Ministry of Defence.
