 on Friday took charge as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), two days after he was nominated as the successor of late General Bipin Rawat. "I am proud to be assuming the responsibility of the highest rank in the Indian Armed Forces. I will try to fulfill the expectations from the three defence forces as the Chief of Defence Staff. We will tackle all challenges and difficulties together," the new CDS said on Friday after assuming office. With his appointment as CDS, Lt Gen Chauhan (retd) will assume the rank of four-star General.){kind=link}
Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (retd) on Friday took charge as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), two days after he was nominated as the successor of late General Bipin Rawat.
“I am proud to be assuming the responsibility of the highest rank in the Indian Armed Forces. I will try to fulfill the expectations from the three defence forces as the Chief of Defence Staff. We will tackle all challenges and difficulties together,” the new CDS said on Friday after assuming office.
ANI
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First three-star General to return with four-star rank
With his appointment as CDS, Lt Gen Chauhan (retd) will assume the rank of a four-star General. He is the first retired three-star officer to return to service in four-star rank.
The 61-year-old is a former Eastern Army Commander and military advisor to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
A decorated Army officer and a China expert, Chauhan will also function as Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs.
He was the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Army during the Balakot air strikes in 2019 when Indian airplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan in response to the Pulwama terror strike.
BCCL
Decorated military career
In a career spanning over nearly 40 years, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (retd) held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast India.
Lt Gen Chauhan retired from the service in May last year when he was serving as the eastern Army Commander.
As the Eastern Army Commander, he played a significant role in bolstering India’s overall combat readiness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim sectors.
He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.
AFP
In the rank of Maj General, the officer had commanded an Infantry Division in the critical Baramulla sector in the Northern Command.
Later as Lt General, he 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 he retired 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 as a United Nations mission to Angola.
Awards and honours
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.
AFP
He is a native of Pauri Garhwal district in Uttrakhand, which was also the hometown of Gen Rawat.
CDS post vacant since December
The post of CDS has been lying vacant since the death of Gen Rawat along with his wife Madhulika Rawat and 12 others in a helicopter crash on December 8 last year.
ANI
In June, the government amended rules paving the way for the appointment of any serving or retired Lt General, Air Marshal and Vice Admiral under the age of 62 to the post of CDS.
The change in rules allowed three-star officers to become the CDS along with serving chiefs of the three services.
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