NEW DELHI: The Indian government has appointed Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) will also serve as the secretary in the department of military affairs.

This was informed by the ministry of defence on Wednesday.

Lt General Anil Chauhan’s military career had spanned over nearly 40 years.

Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (retired) had held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, the ministry of defence added.

He will succeed General Bipin Rawat, who died in December last year in a helicopter crash.

The position of CDS was lying vacant since then. 

Notably, a few months back, the defence ministry had amended rules for the appointment of the CDS.

As per the new rules, the Central Government may consider officers who are serving as Lt General equivalent or General equivalent or officers who have retired in the rank of Lt General or General but have not attained the age of 62 years on the date of appointment, for the CDS. 

Born on May 18, 1961 – Lt General Anil Chauhan is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and Indian Military Academy.

He was commissioned into the Indian Army in 1981.

Lt General Anil Chauhan had also commanded a corps in the Northeast 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.

(This is a breaking story)