‘I will try to fulfil expectations of three services’: Gen Anil Chauhan assumes charge as the new CDS

Gen. Anil Chauhan was appointed Chief of Defence Staff of India on Friday. Over nine months after the passing of the previous CDS, General Bipin Rawat, Chauhan took over and pledged to “attempt to satisfy the expectations from the three defence forces.”

“I’m 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.

Along with his father, Surendra Singh Chauhan, Chauhan attended the National War Memorial after receiving the Guard of Honor at the South Block in Delhi.

The 61-year-old Chauhan, a renowned Army officer, will serve as Secretary for the Department of Military Affairs.

After Gen. Bipin Rawat’s passing in a helicopter crash, the government announced on Wednesday that Chauhan has been named the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Lt Gen Chauhan (retired) is a member of Gen Rawat’s former regiment, the 11 Gorkha Rifles.

In reaction to the Pulwama terror attack, Indian aircraft bombed a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training centre deep within Pakistan in 2019. The newly appointed CDS was also the Army’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) at the time.

As India’s second Chief of Defence Staff, he would be given the title of four-star general. He will join the military as a four-star officer for the first time among retiring three-star officers.

He has been working as the military adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat under the direction of NSA Ajit Doval since he retired as the Eastern Army Commander last year.

Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (retd) had an almost 40-year career and held a number of command, staff, and instrumental positions. He also had significant involvement in counter-insurgency operations in northeast India and Jammu & Kashmir.When he was the commander of the eastern army in May of last year, Lt Gen Chauhan departed from the military.

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