Former Army Commander Lt Gen Anil Chauhan Is New CDS

More than nine months after the country's first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat (retired), died in a helicopter crash, the government announced on Wednesday that Lt. Gen. Anil Chauhan (retired) will take his place.

Chauhan “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”. according to a statement from the Ministry of Defence.

The announcement puts to rest suspicions about the position's future that were brought on by the prolonged search for a replacement. This is the first time in the history of the nation's military that its most senior officer has been a retired officer who has recently returned to service. May 2021 marked Chauhan's retirement. The day after stepping down as Army Chief, Rawat became CDS.

According to the Ministry, Chauhan has held a number of commands, staff, and instrumental postings over the course of a nearly 40-year career and has vast experience in counter-insurgency operations in J&K and the Northeast.

Chauhan, who was born in Uttarakhand on May 18, 1961, received his commission into the 11 Gorkha Rifles in 1981. He graduated from both the Indian Military Academy and the National Defense Academy. Rawat, his predecessor, came from 11 Gorkhas as well.

“In the rank of Maj General, the officer had commanded an Infantry Division in the critical Baramulla 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,” according to the statement.