New Delhi (TIP)- Gen Anil Chauhan on Friday, September 30,  became India’s new Chief of Defense Staff.  “I will try to fulfill the expectations from the three defence forces,” said Chauhan as he assumed charge, over nine months after the death of former CDS, General Bipin Rawat. “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. Chauhan received the Guard of Honour at the South Block, Delhi and visited the National War Memorial with his father, Surendra Singh Chauhan.

A decorated Army officer, 61-year-old Chauhan will also function as Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs.

The government on Wednesday announced appointing Chauhan as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), after the post fell vacant following the death of Gen Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash.

Lt Gen Chauhan (retd) is from the 11 Gorkha Rifles, the same regiment of Gen Rawat.

The newly-appointed CDS was also 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. He will assume the rank of the four-star General once he takes charge as India’s second Chief of Defence Staff. He will be the first retired three-star officer to return to service in four-star rank. After his retirement as the Eastern Army Commander last year, he has been serving as the military adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat headed by NSA Ajit Doval.

In a career spanning 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.

                Source: Indian Express