On 28th September 2022, Retired Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan PVSM UYSM AVSM SM VSM was appointed as the new Chief of Defence Staff of India by the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is the second CDS of India, taking over the position after the demise of respected General Bipin Rawat on December 2021. Read more about the life, achievements, and responsibilities of the new CDS of India, General Anil Chauhan, in the article further.
New Chief Of Defence Staff: Anil Chauhan As the New CDS of India
Retired Lt General Anil Chauhan now holds the position of being the top military officer of the country and is the head of one of the world’s largest armies. With a military career of 40 years, Lt General Anil Chauhan served in the Indian army from June 1981 till May 2021 when he retired as the Command-in-Chief of Eastern Command.
With him appointed as the new CDS of India, it is the first time that a retired general is elevated to such a position and thus the government issued a gazette stating the change in rules.
Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan’s backstory
Lt General Anil Chauhan, the New Chief Of Defence Staff, was born on 18 May 1961 in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. He is an alumni graduate of the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy, in Dehradun. He was commissioned into the 11th Gorkha Rifles after twenty years into his life.
Having held numerous appointments as the command, staff, or instructional, Lt General Chauhan also has counter-insurgency operations experience in Jammu and Kashmir. He also served on the UN mission to Angola. When serving as a Major General, Chauhan was the commander of the Baramulla sector’s Infantry Division in the Northern Command.
Apart from the numerous medals and honours he has received for his military service, Lt General Anil Chauhan is also the author of two books, namely, ‘Aftermath of A Nuclear Attack’ and ‘History of 11 Gorkha Rifles Regimental Centre’.
Bipin Rawat: The First CDS of India
The formation of the post of CDS was done on 1 January 2020. A CDS is the military head of the Indian Armed Forces and the permanent Chairman of the Chief of Staff Committee. The term length is 3 years or till 65 years of age.
General Bipin Rawat was appointed as the first CDS of India by the government under the presidency of Ram Nath Kovind. He was a notable figure in the military for the counterattack operations led under his supervision by our country. On 8th December 2021, however, he was killed in a helicopter crash on his way to Wellington’s DSSC College to deliver a lecture.
Conclusion
This was all about Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan and his appointment as the new Chief of Defence Staff of India. He will also act as the Secretary for the Indian Government’s Department of Military Affairs after taking charge as the CDS.
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