Government appoints Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) as Chief of Defence Staff

Government appoints Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) as its Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)— the post which was lying vacant for about 10 months since the sudden demise of General Bipin Rawat.

New Delhi: Government of India has appointed Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) as its Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the post which was lying vacant for about 10 months since the sudden demise of General Bipin Rawat in a deadly chopper crash near Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor.

"The Government has decided to appoint Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who shall also function as Secretary to Government of India, Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders," a statement from defence ministry said.

On January 1 2020, Gen Rawat took charge as India's first CDS with a mandate to bring in convergence in the functioning of the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force and bolster the country's overall military prowess. Another key mandate of the CDS was to facilitate the restructuring of military commands for optimal utilization of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through the establishment of theater commands.

A high-level committee set up to examine the gaps in India's security system in the wake of the Kargil war in 1999 had recommended the appointment of the CDS as a single-point military adviser to the defence minister. In his two years' stint, Gen Rawat carried out the extensive groundwork to roll out tri-services reforms. The CDS is also the Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) in the defence ministry and the Principal Advisor to the defence minister.

Who is Gen Anil Chauhan?

In a career spanning over nearly 40 years, Gen Anil had held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and North-East India. Born on May 18, 1961, Gen Anil was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

In the rank of Maj General, the officer had commanded an Infantry Division in the critical Baramula sector in the Northern Command. Later as Lt General, he commanded a corps in the North East and subsequently went to become the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command from September 2019 and held the charge until his retirement from the service in May 2021.

In addition to these command appointments, the officer also tenanted important staff appointments including the charge of Director General of Military Operations. Earlier, the officer had also served as a United Nations mission to Angola. The officer superannuated from the Indian Army on May 31, 2021.

Even after his retirement from the Army, he continued to contribute to national security and strategic matters. For his distinguished and illustrious service in the Army, Gen Anil was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.