Current Affairs » Government appoints Lt Gen Anil Chauhan as the new Chief of Defence Staff

Government appoints Lt Gen Anil Chauhan as the new Chief of Defence Staff

Lt. Gen. Anil Chauhan (Retired), UYSM, SM, AVSM VSM, and PVSM will be the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Secretary to the Indian Government’s Department of Military Affairs, respectively, beginning on the day he assumes charge and lasting until further orders. Lt Gen Anil Chauhan has held a number of commands, staff, and instrumental positions over his nearly 40-year career. He has a wealth of experience in insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and Northeast India. Both the eastern Army’s commander and the director general of military operations were Lt Gen Anil Chauhan. Chauhan, 61, will also take over as secretary of the Department of Military Matters as of the date he assumes duty.

Key Takeaways

  • The seasoned military officer has an illustrious career that has lasted approximately 40 years. Lt. General Chauhan has extensive knowledge of counterinsurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir, and Northeast India.
  • Lt Gen Anil Chauhan has also held important administrative positions, including Director General of Military Operations.
  • Lt Gen Anil Chauhan, born on May 18, 1961, enlisted in the Indian Army’s 11 Gorkha Rifles in 1981.
  • The government altered the qualifications for appointment to the office of Chief of Defence Staff in June, allowing any incumbent or retired Lieutenant General, Air Marshal, or Vice Admiral younger than 62 to do so (CDS).

An assessment of Lt. General. Anil Chauhan's 40-year military career

The veteran military officer has had a distinguished career spanning almost 40 years. Lt. General. Chauhan has a wealth of expertise in Northeast India and Jammu and Kashmir’s counterinsurgency operations. When he was the Eastern Army Commander, the decorated military leader retired from the service in May of last year.

Deputy Chief of Staff for UN Mission and Military Operations

Lt Gen Anil Chauhan has also managed to hold key staff roles, such as Director General of Military Activities. Additionally, he had participated in a UN mission to Angola. Anil Chauhan, a Lt. Gen. who had managed a corps in the Northeast, inherited the General Officer Dominant of the Eastern Command and kept it till he retired from the military in May 2021.

First posting for Lt. General. Anil Chauhan: 11 Gorkha Rifles

Lt General Anil Chauhan, commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles in 1981, is a graduate of both the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun and the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla. He oversaw an Infantry Division as a Major General in the crucial Baramulla area of the Northern Command. As a Lieutenant General, he oversaw a corps in the northeast. From September 2019 until he retired from the military in May 2021, he was the Eastern Command chief.

About Lt Gen Anil Chauhan

Lt Gen Anil Chauhan, born on May 18th, 1961, enlisted the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981. He graduated from the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun and the National Defense Academy in Khadakwasla. After superannuation and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal Appointment scheduling that are crucial after retirement. Lt Gen Chauhan made many contributions to strategic and national security problems even after his retirement because of his connection to the National Security Council Secretariat. Lt. Gen. Anil Chauhan (retired) received the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal,  Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal for his honourable and outstanding service in the Army.

Regulations changed to accommodate Lt Gen Anil Chauhan Since Gen. Rawat’s passing in a helicopter accident on December 8 of last year, the Chief of Defence Staff position has remained vacant. 

Gen. Rawat assumed command as India’s first CDS on January 1, 2020, with the mission of improving the Army, Indian Air Force, and Navy’s coordination of operations and enhancing the nation’s overall military might. The formation of theatre commands was just a critical aspect of the CDS’ crucial responsibility to support restructuring military commands for the best possible resource utilisation.

Position Left After General Bipin Rawat's Death

The next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will be Lt. Gen. Anil Chauhan, who will also function as Secretary to the Government of India’s Dept of Military Affairs with effect as of the date of his duty assumption and until further orders, according to a statement from the Defence Ministry.

Lt. Gen. Anil Chauhan had held several commands, staff, and personnel over the course of his nearly 40-year career and was well-versed in refute activities in Jammu and Kashmir India, according to the statement..

The government changed the Army, Navy, and Air Force service rules in June, making retired Service Chiefs and officers with a three-star rank eligible for consideration for the nation’s top military position. Retired Service Chiefs were mostly disqualified, especially for the current consideration, due to the age restriction that the retired cop should not have reached 62 years of age on the appointment date. After retiring, Lt. Gen. Chauhan replaced Lt. Gen. Vinod G. Khandare, who resigned from the position in October 2021 as the Military Advisor at the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).