Who is Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (Retd), India's new CDS?

India has a new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan. The announcement was made on September 28, 2022. He is only the second person to be appointed to the position after General Bipin Rawat. General Rawat passed away on December 8, 2021, in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu.

What do we know about Lt Gen Anil Chauhan?

1. Reports say the new CDS is an expert on China issues, border-related issues and counter-insurgency operations. 

2. Lt Gen Chauhan retired as the GoC of Eastern Command in May 2021 and was serving as the military advisor to the National Security Council. 

3. He was the GoC Eastern Command when the Galwan clashes took place in Ladakh. A few months after the Indo-China clashes, Lt Gen Chauhan made a statement on the situation saying that "mutual trust on LAC between us (India) & Chinese PLA evaporated & will take time to stabilise".

4. Lt Gen Chauhan held several important positions in his career spanning nearly 40 years. He commanded an Infantry Division as a Major General in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir. He also commanded a corps as Lt General in the North East before becoming the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Command. 

5. His service in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East means extensive experience dealing with counter-insurgency operations. 

6. Lt Gen Chauhan also served as a United Nations peacekeeper in Angola.

7. Besides his illustrious career, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan is also known to have one of the best collections of masks from around the world in the armed forces, an avid golfer and an author. He has authored two books - Aftermath of a Nuclear Attack, which was published in 2010, and Military Geography of India's Northern Borders.

Background: Lt Gen Anil Chauhan was born in 1961. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.
Lt Gen Anil Chauhan will also serve as the Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Military Affairs. 

There are a few firsts when it comes to Lt Gen Anil Chauhan's appointment. It is the first time that a retired officer has been appointed for the position. The government also issued a gazette notification regarding the change in rules for appointments. 

Lt Gen Chauhan is 61 now and according to the government's notification, the tenure of CDS can be extended up to 65 years. As a CDS, Lt Gen Chauhan is senior to the three serving chiefs - General Manoj Pande, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, and Admiral R Hari Kumar. He was junior in rank before becoming the CDS, but older in age. 

Lt Gen Chauhan is also from the same regiment as General Bipin Rawat - 11 Gorkha Rifles. Chauhan is from the 6th battalion of 11 GR, while Rawat was from 5/11 GR. 

What will the CDS do? The Chief of Defence Staff is the single point of contact for the government for giving military advice. The CDS' top priority is theaterisation. Theaterisation is a concept in the military that seeks to bring together the power of the three services - the Army, Navy and the Air Force. 

France's envoy to India, Emmanuel Lenain, Australia's Deputy High Commission to India, Sarah Storey and several others congratulated Lt Gen Anil Chauhan on his appointment.