THE INTER-SERVICES ORGANISATIONS (COMMAND, CONTROL 
AND DISCIPLINE) ACT, 2023 

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ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 

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CHAPTER I 

PRELIMINARY 

SECTIONS  

1.  Short title and commencement. 

2.  Application of Act. 

3.  Definitions. 

CHAPTER II 

SPECIAL PROVISION FOR CERTAIN FORCES 

4.  Special provision for certain forces under Central Government. 

CHAPTER III 

CONSTITUTION OF INTER-SERVICES ORGANISATION AND ITS OFFICERS 

5.  Constitution of Inter- services Organisation or Joint Services Command. 

6.  Existing  Inter-services  Organisations  and  Commander-in-Chief  or  Officer-in-Command  to 

continue. 

7.  Powers of Commander- in-Chief or Officer-in-Command. 

8.  Commanding Officer. 

9.  Superintendence of Central Government. 

10.  Power to declare persons to be on active service. 

CHAPTER IV  

MISCELLANEOUS 

11.  Power to make rules. 

12.  Overriding effect of this Act. 

13.  Protection of action taken in good faith. 

14.  Power to remove difficulties. 

15.  Laying of rules before Parliament. 

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THE INTER-SERVICES ORGANISATIONS (COMMAND, CONTROL 

AND DISCIPLINE) ACT, 2023 

ACT NO. 28 OF 2023 

An  Act  to  empower  the  Commander-in-Chief  or  the  Officer-in-Command  of  Inter-services 
Organisations in respect of service personnel who are subject to the Air Force Act, 1950, the Army Act, 
1950 and the Navy Act, 1957, who are serving under or attached to his command, for the maintenance of 
discipline and proper discharge of their duties, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. 

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Seventy-fourth Year of the Republic of India as follows:— 

[15th August, 2023.] 

CHAPTER I 

PRELIMINARY 

1.  Short  title  and  commencement.—(1)  This  Act  may  be  called  the  Inter-services  Organisations 

(Command, Control and Discipline) Act, 2023. 

(2) It shall come into force on such date1 as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official 

Gazette, appoint. 

2. Application of Act.—The provisions of this Act shall apply to all persons who are subject to the Air 
Force Act, 1950, (45 of 1950), the Army Act, 1950 (46 of 1950) and the Navy Act, 1957 (62 of 1957), and 
to persons of such other forces as the Central Government may specify, by notification, under section 4, 
who are serving in or attached to an Inter-services Organisation. 

3. Definitions.—(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- 

(a) “Air Officer” means any officer of the Air Force above the rank of group captain; 

(b) “Chief of Defence Staff” means an officer of the regular Army, or the Indian Navy, or the Air 

Force, as the case may be, appointed as such by the Central Government; 

(c) “Commander-in-Chief” means a General Officer of the regular Army, or a Flag Officer of the 
Indian Navy, or an Air Officer of the Air Force, appointed as Commander-in-Chief of a Joint Services 
Command, and in his absence, the officer on whom the command devolves; 

(d) “Commanding Officer” means the officer in actual command of the unit, ship or establishment 
and includes an officer appointed as such by the Commander-in-Chief or the Officer-in-Command, as 
the case may be, of an Inter-services Organisation; 

(e) “Flag Officer” means an officer of the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, Admiral, Vice-Admiral or                  

Rear-Admiral; 

(f) “General Officer” means an officer of the regular Army above the rank of Brigadier; 

(g)  “Inter-services  Organisation”  means  a  body  of  troops  including  a  Joint  Services  Command 
consisting of persons, subject to the Air Force Act, 1950, (45 of 1950), the Army Act, 1950 (46 of 
1950)and the Navy Act, 1957 (62 of 1957) or any two of the said Acts; 

(h) “notification” means a notification published in the Official Gazette; 

  1. 10th May, 2024, Vide notification No. S.R.O. 13(E), dated 08th  May, 2024, see Gazette of India, Part II, sec. 4. 

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(i)  “officer”,  in  relation  to  an  Inter-services  Organisation,  means  an  officer  as  defined  in                           

clause (xxiii) of section 4 of the Air Force Act, 1950, (45 of 1950), or clause (xviii) of section 3 of the 
Army Act, 1950 (46 of 1950), or clause (16) of section 3 of the Navy Act, 1957, (62 of 1957) as the 
case may be; 

(j) “Officer-in-Command” of an Inter-services Organisation means either a General Officer of the 
regular Army, or a Flag Officer of the Indian Navy, or an Air Officer of the Air Force, appointed as the 
Officer-in-Command of an Inter-services Organisation, other than Joint Services Command, and in his 
absence, the officer on whom the command devolves; 

(k) “regulations” means the regulations made under the respective Service Acts; 

(l) “rules” means the rules made under this Act and under the respective Service Acts, as the case 

may be; 

(m) “Service Acts” means the Air Force Act, 1950, (45 of 1950), or the Army Act, 1950 (46 of 

1950), or the Navy Act, 1957 (62 of 1957) or any two of the said Acts or all the said Acts; and 

(n) “service personnel” means persons who are subject to any of the Service Acts. 

(2)  Words  and  expressions  used  herein  and  not  defined  but  defined  in  the  Air  Force  Act,  1950,                                    

(45  of  1950),  or  the  Army  Act,  1950  (46  of  1950),  or  the  Navy  Act,  1957  (62  of  1957)shall  have  the 
meanings, respectively, assigned to them under the said Acts. 

CHAPTER II 

SPECIAL PROVISION FOR CERTAIN FORCES 

4. Special provision for certain forces under Central Government.—(1) The Central Government 
may, by notification, specify any force or any part thereof, raised and maintained in India under the authority 
of the said Government, to which all or any of the provisions of this Act shall, with or without modifications, 
apply and accordingly all the officers referred to in clause (i) of sub-section (1) of section 3 shall be deemed 
to be officers within the meaning of the respective Acts relating to the said forces. 

(2) Upon issuance of a notification under sub-section (1), the authority to exercise all the disciplinary 
and administrative powers under the respective Acts governing such force or any part thereof including the 
powers  conferred  by  warrants  or  commissions issued  under  such  Acts  governing  that  force  or  any  part 
thereof, shall vest in the Commander-in-Chief or the Officer-in-Command, as the case may be, of the Inter-
services Organisation. 

(3)  Where  any  of  the  provisions  of  this  Act  applies  to  a  force  or  any  part  thereof  as  referred  to  in                      

sub-section (2), the Central Government may, by notification, direct that by what authority or which officer, 
the jurisdiction, powers or duties incidental to the operation of the provisions of this Act shall be exercised 
or performed in respect of that force or any part thereof. 

CONSTITUTION OF INTER-SERVICES ORGANISATION AND ITS OFFICERS 

CHAPTER III 

5.  Constitution  of  Inter-services  Organisation  or  Joint  Services  Command.—(1)  The  Central 
Government  may,  by  notification,  constitute  an  Inter-services  Organisation,  which  may  include  a  Joint 
Services Command, comprising of units or service personnel who are subject to any of the Service Acts, as 
may  be  placed  under  the  command  of  the  Commander-in-Chief  or,  as  the  case  may  be,  the  Officer-in-
Command. 

(2) The Central Government may, by an order published in the Official Gazette, direct that any power 
exercisable  by  the  Commander-in-Chief  or,  as  the  case  may  be,  the  Officer-in-Command  may  also  be 
exercisable by any other officer specially empowered in this behalf by the said Government. 

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6.  Existing  Inter-services  Organisations  and  Commander-in-Chief  or  Officer-in-Command  to 

continue.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act,— 

(a) the Inter-services Organisations constituted by the Central Government and functioning as such 
immediately before the date of commencement of this Act, shall be deemed to have been constituted 
under the provisions of this Act; 

(b) the Commander-in-Chief or, as the case may be, the Officer-in-Command of an Inter-services 
Organisation,  who  has  been  appointed  and  functioning  as  such  immediately  before  the  date  of 
commencement of this Act, shall be deemed to have been appointed under the provisions of this Act. 

(2) Nothing contained in this Act shall render invalid any action taken or acts performed, immediately 
before the commencement of this Act, by the Inter-services Organisation, or by the Commander-in-Chief 
or by the Officer-in-Command, as the case may be, of an Inter-services Organisation, while functioning as 
such under any law applicable at that time. 

7. Powers of Commander- in-Chief or Officer-in-Command.—(1) The Commander-in-Chief or, as 
the case may be, Officer-in-Command of an Inter-services Organisation, shall be the head of such Inter-
services Organisation and shall exercise command and control over the personnel serving in or attached to 
that Inter-services Organisation, for the purpose of maintenance of discipline and proper discharge of their 
duties. 

(2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), the Commander-in-Chief or, as the case may be, the Officer-
in-Command  of  an  Inter-services  Organisation  shall  be  competent  to  exercise  all  the  disciplinary  and 
administrative powers vested in and exercised by— 

(a) the General Officer Commanding the Army; 

(b) the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of a Naval Command; 

(c) the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of an Air Command; 

(d) any other officer or authority specified in the Service Acts or in the rules and regulations made 
thereunder, including the powers conferred by warrants or commissions issued under the provisions of 
such Service Acts; and 

(e) any other officer or authority as may be specified in the notification issued under section 4. 

8.  Commanding  Officer.—The  Commanding  Officer  of  an  Inter-services  Organisation  shall,  in 
addition  to  having  command  over  any  unit,  ship  or  establishment,  also  perform  such  duties  as  may  be 
assigned to him in respect of such Inter-services Organisation by its Commander-in-Chief or, as the case 
may  be,  the  Officer-in-Command  and  shall  be  empowered  to  initiate  all  disciplinary  or  administrative 
actions over the personnel appointed, deputed, posted or attached to that Inter-services Organisation. 

9.  Superintendence  of  Central  Government.—The  superintendence  of 

the  Inter-services 
Organisation shall vest in the Central Government, which shall have the power to issue directions to each 
of such organisations, on any matters concerning national security or general administration, if it considers 
necessary and expedient so to do in the public interest. 

10. Power to declare persons to be on active service.—Notwithstanding anything contained in the 
Service Acts, the Central Government may, by notification, declare that any service personnel or class of 
service personnel to whom the Service Acts apply shall, with reference to any Inter-services Organisation 
in which he or they may be serving in or attached to or with reference to any provision of this Act, be 
deemed to be on active service within the meaning of this Act and the Service Acts. 

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CHAPTER IV  

MISCELLANEOUS 

11. Power to make rules.—The Central Government may make rules for the purposes of carrying out 
the provisions of this Act. 

12.  Overriding  effect  of  this  Act.—The  provisions  of  this  Act  shall  have  effect  notwithstanding 
anything inconsistent therewith contained in any other law for the time being in force or in any instrument 
having effect by virtue of any law other than this Act. 

13. Protection of action taken in good faith.—No suit, prosecution or any other legal proceeding shall 
lie against any person for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done under this Act. 

14. Power to remove difficulties.—(1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this 
Act, the Central Government may, by order published in the Official Gazette, make such provisions not 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, as may appear to be necessary for removing the difficulty: 

Provided that no such order shall be made under this section after the expiry of a period of three years 
from the commencement of this Act. 

(2) Every order made under this section shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each 
House of Parliament. 

15. Laying of rules before Parliament.—Every rule made by the Central Government under this Act 
shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for 
a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, 
and  if,  before  the  expiry  of  the  session  immediately  following  the  session  or  the  successive  sessions 
aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in such rule or both Houses agree that the rule 
should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as 
the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the 
validity of anything previously done under that rule. 

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