The Government of India yesterday appointed Lt. General Anil Chauhan, a former commander of the Eastern Army, as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
Since the nation’s first CDS, Gen. Bipin Rawat, died in a helicopter mishap in December 2021, the position has been empty.
“The Government has decided to appoint Lt. Gen. Anil Chauhan (Retired) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who 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,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
According to the statement, Lt. Gen. Anil Chauhan had held a number of command, staff, and instrumental positions throughout the duration of his nearly 40-year career and had a wealth of experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and North-East India.
The government changed the Army, Navy, and Air Force’s service rules in June to make retired Service Chiefs and officers with three stars eligible for consideration for the nation’s top military position. Retired Service Chiefs were largely disqualified, especially for the current consideration, due to the age limit that the retired officer should not have reached 62 years of age on the date of appointment.
After retiring, Lt. Gen. Chauhan replaced Lt. Gen. Vinod G. Khandare, who left the position in October 2021, as the Military Advisor at the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).
In December 2019, the Government approved the creation of the post of CDS who would also function as the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister and Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC). In addition, the DMA was created as the fifth department in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) with the CDS functioning as its secretary.
The age limit for the CDS is 65 years of age with no set tenure, compared to the service chiefs’ term of 62 years or three years, whichever comes first.
On January 1, 2020, Gen. Bipin Rawat, who had been the 27th Army Chief from December 31, 2016, to December 31, 2019, became the first CDS. On December 8, 2021, he died along with his wife Madhulika Rawat and 12 other people in a helicopter accident.
Lt. Gen. Chauhan, who was born on May 18th, 1961, joined the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981. He graduated from both the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun and the National Defense Academy in Khadakwasla.
