NEW DELHI, June 25 -- Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday authorised the chief of defence staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, who also heads the department of military affairs, to issue "joint instructions and joint orders" for the three services, a step aimed at boosting jointness in the armed forces. "This marks a shift from the earlier system wherein instructions/orders pertaining to two or more services were issued by each service separately," the defence ministry said, calling it a major step towards modernisation and transformation of the country's military. The move comes weeks after India notified new rules under an overarching law to boost jointness, command efficiency and operational synergy in the armed forces at a critical moment when they are charting a path towards theaterisation - a long-awaited reform for the best use of the military's resources to fight future wars. The developments come in the aftermath of the clash with Pakistan under Operation Sindoor that saw the three services work jointly. htc...