General Anil Chauhan on September 30 took charge as India’s second Chief of Defence Staff, nine months after the tragic death of India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, General BipinRawat, in a chopper crash. Known as an expert on China, General Chauhan’s appointment to the top post comes amid the border row between Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh.
Chauhan received the Guard of Honour at the South Block, Delhi and visited the National War Memorial
After assuming charge as the CDs, he said that he was proud to assume the responsibility of the highest rank in the Indian Armed Forces. He said that he would try to fulfill the expectations from the three defence forces as the Chief of Defence Staff.
GENERAL CHAUHAN; RETIRED
In June, the Government amended Service Rules of the Army, Navy and Air Force allowing retired Service Chiefs and three star rank officers eligible for consideration to the post of CDS. With an age limit imposed that the retired officer should not have attained 62 years on the date of appointment, retired Service Chiefs were largely ruled out especially so for the present consideration.
GENERAL CHAUHAN; A BRIEF
Born on 18th May 1961, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan 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.
Earlier, the officer had also served as a United Nations mission to Angola. The officer superannuated from the Indian Army on 31 May 2021. Post retirement, Lt. Gen. Chauhan took over as the Military Advisor in the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) from Lt. Gen. Vinod G. Khandare who stepped down from the post in October 2021. he is recipient of was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
