The Government has appointed Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan (Retired) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)
Lieutenant General Chauhan will also function as Secretary, Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge.
In a career spanning nearly 40 years, Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan held several command, staff, and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and North-East India.
The post of Chief of Defence Staff has been lying vacant since the death of General Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash on 8th December last year.
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 Major 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.
In addition to these command appointments, Lt Gen Chauhan also tenanted important staff appointments including the charge of Director General of Military Operations.
Earlier, he had also served on a United Nations mission to Angola. Even after his retirement from the Army, he continued to contribute to national security and strategic matters.
For his distinguished and illustrious service in the Army, Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
