The government today named Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (Retired) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to succeed Gen Bipin Rawat, who died in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu in December 2021.

”The government has decided to appoint Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who shall also function as Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders,” the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

As CDS, Lt Gen Chauhan becomes the military head and permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Indian armed forces. He will be the highest-ranking uniformed officer on active duty in the Indian military and chief military adviser to the MoD.

In a career spanning over 40 years, Lt Gen Chauhan had held several command, staff, and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir, and North-East India.

Born on 18 May 1961, Lt Gen 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 the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

In the rank of Maj 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, the officer also tenanted important staff appointments including the charge of Director General of Military Operations. Earlier, the officer had also served on a United Nations mission to Angola.

The officer superannuated from the Indian Army on 31 May 2021. 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 Chauhan was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal.