Lt General Anil Chauhan (retd) to take over as Chief of Defence Staff today

New Delhi: Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan (retd) is set to take over as the nation's new chief of defence staff (CDS) today. The announcement regarding his appointment at the esteemed post was made by the Central government on Wednesday. Chauhan was appointed to the post nine months after India's first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat's death. He died in a chopped crash in Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor in December 2021.

In addition to being the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM will 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, the Ministry of Defence said.

Notably, Lt General Anil Chauhan retired as the Eastern Army commander on May 31, 2021. He served as the military adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) before being appointed to the top job.

Lt Gen Anil Chauhan has held several important posts in his illustrious career spanning 4 decades. He had held several appointments and has extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and North-East India.

The defence ministry further informed that the new CDS is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. Lt Gen Anil Chauhan had commanded an Infantry Division in the critical Baramula sector in the Northern Command when he served in the area as Major General. He served as 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.

He also tenanted important staff appointments including the charge of Director General of Military Operations.