The Center on Wednesday decided to appoint Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (Retd) as the next Chief of Defense Staff (CDS). The government said that Chouhan – who retired as the head of the Eastern Command in May 2021 – will also serve as Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, Government of India, from the date of taking over and until further orders.
The appointment comes nine months after the death of General Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash. Rawat, who was India’s first Chief of Defense Staff, and his wife were killed after a military helicopter crashed in Tamil Nadu in December last year, killing 13 people.
According to a government release, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan – an alumnus of the National Defense Academy, Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun – had held several command, staff and assistant appointments and had vast experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu Kashmir and Northeast.
Born on May 18, 1961, Chauhan was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981. An official statement said Chauhan had commanded an infantry division in the crucial Baramulla sector of the Northern Command as a Major General.
He hails from Gwana village in Rampur Gram Sabha of Khirsu block
This important army post was lying vacant after the death of General Bipin Rawat. After the appointment of Anil Chauhan, there is an atmosphere of happiness among the people of Uttarakhand, because he belongs to this hilly state. He hails from Pauri Garhwal district of the state. He hails from Gwana village in Rampur Gram Sabha of Khirsu block of Pauri Garhwal district, Lt General (Retd) Chauhan has become the second person from Uttarakhand to hold the position of CDS.
Before being appointed as CDS, Anil Chauhan was posted as Military Advisor in the National Security Council Secretariat. He has served in the army for 40 years. In December last year, the country’s first CDS General Rawat was killed in a helicopter crash. His wife also died in this accident in Tamil Nadu. The post of CDS was lying vacant for the last nine months after the death of General Rawat.
Expressing happiness on the appointment of Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has congratulated him. After the information about the appointment came out, he tweeted, ‘Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (SN) ji, son of Uttarakhand, on being appointed as the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS). We are confident that under your able leadership, the Indian Army will set a new record in the field of national security as always.
As a lieutenant general, he commanded a corps in the Northeast and then became the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command from September 2019 until his retirement from service in May 2021.
His previous tenures have also included serving as Director General of Military Operations and as a United Nations Mission in Angola. Chouhan continued to contribute to national security and strategic affairs even after retirement.
For his distinguished and distinguished service in the Army, he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.