New CDS General Anil Chauhan Takes Charge Nine Months After Gen Bipin Rawat's Death

GENERAL Anil Chauhan on Friday assumed charge as the second Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India at the South Block in Delhi. Taking charge as the new CDS, Gen Chauhan said, "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."

Gen Chauhan was accorded the Guard of Honour in the ceremony, attended by CDS General Anil Chauhan with Army chief General Manoj Pande, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Navy vice chief Vice Admiral SN Ghormade and Air Marshal BR Krishna.

The post was lying vacant for the past nine months since the death of former CDS General Bipin Rawat, who lost his life in a helicopter crash in December 2021.  

A CDS is the senior-most uniformed officer who heads the three armed forces -- Army, Navy and Air Force -- in the country.

Lt Gen (Retd) Anil Chauhan was born on May 18, 1961, and completed his education from the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981.

As Major General, he had led an Infantry Division in the critical Baramula sector in the Northern Command. He went on to become the Lieutenant General and commanded a corps in the North East.

In September 2019, Lt Gen (Retd) Chauhan became the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command, a post he held until his retirement from the service in May 31, 2021.

General Bipin Rawat, who had taken over the role of the first CDS of the country in January 2020, died on December 8, 2021. Gen Rawat, along with his wife and 12 others, were travelling to Sulur Air Force Base when the Indian Air Force Mi-17 plane crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu killing 13 people onboard. The pilot later succumbed to his injuries.