Lt General Anil Chauhan Archives - Lokmarg

Z+ Security To CDS Anil Chauhan

By LokMarg 3rd October 2022

The Centre has provided the ‘Z+’ category armed security cover of Delhi Police to the newly elected Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, sources said on Monday.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued the order to the Delhi Police days after Chauhan took charge as India’s new Chief of Defence Staff, more than nine months after the death of General Bipin Rawat, the country’s first CDS.
General Chauhan took charge as India’s second CDS last Friday.

Nearly 58 armed Delhi Police personnel will be guarding Chauhan at his residence as well as during travel.

He is also the Principal Military Advisor to the Defence Minister on all tri-Service matters as well as head of the Department of Military Affairs as Secretary.

He is also the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC).

While taking charge, General Chauhan had said he was proud to be assuming the responsibility of the highest rank in the Indian armed forces.

For the first time, a three-star officer has been brought back from retirement to hold a four-star rank.

Born on May 18, 1961, General Chauhan was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981. The three chiefs, General Manoj Pande, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari and Admiral R Hari Kumar, were commissioned into their respective services later.

In a career spanning nearly 40 years, General Chauhan held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and northeast India.

He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

General Chauhan has the mandate to implement the ambitious theaterisation plan that seeks to ensure tri-services synergy and prepare the military for future security challenges by rolling out integrated military commands.

Later, as Lt General, he commanded a corps in the North East and subsequently went to become the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command from September 2019 and held the charge until his retirement from the service in May 2021.

In addition to these command appointments, the officer also tenanted important staff appointments, including the charge of the Director General of Military Operations.

Earlier, the officer had also served on a United Nations mission to Angola. He superannuated from the Indian Army on 31 May 2021.

Even after his retirement from the Army, he continued to contribute to national security and strategic matters.

The CDS is the most senior uniformed officer in rank, the first among equals — the only four-star officers in the country are the CDS, the chiefs of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. (ANI)

New CDS Asks 3 Defence Forces To Work On Creation Of Theatre Commands

By LokMarg 2nd October 2022

In his maiden communication with the three defence forces, new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has asked the Army, Navy and Air Force to make a move ahead towards the creation of integrated theatre commands.

The CDS will also be visiting Jodhpur on October 3 to witness the induction of the Light Combat Helicopter into the Indian Air Force with Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on his first visit outside Delhi after taking over his new office.
The post of Chief of Defence Staff was created in 2019 and one of the top mandates was to create theatre commands to help the Army, Navy, and Air Force fight the next wars jointly.

“The CDS has communicated to the defence forces to move ahead on creating theatre commands which would be his priority area. A lot of discussions have already been done on the issue and it is now time to move forward,” government sources told ANI.

The three services have also done several studies in individual capacity as well as joint ones to discuss the issue of theatre commands in detail, they said.

Gen Chauhan’s predecessor, the late Gen Bipin Rawat, was also working under great stress on turning the three forces into leaner and more agile fighting units with modern weaponry.

As per the earlier plans, western and eastern land-based commands along with a maritime theatre command were to be created. Air Defence Command was also to be created and the Ladakh region was to be left out for the time being.

However, the Indian Air Force while supporting the creation of theatre commands expressed its views against creating too many of them which could lead to the division of its existing assets like fighter aircraft.

It was also against any land or maritime commands and wanted theatres to be created to deal with specific threats from different sides.

After the demise of Gen Rawat, these studies and presentations by the three forces have continued and presentations on the matter have been given to the top brass of the defence ministry.

With CDS Gen Chauhan in office now, the creation of these commands is likely to gain momentum and decisions in this regard are expected to be taken soon. (ANI)

Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retd) Appointed As New Chief Of Defence Staff

By LokMarg 28th September 2022

The government on Tuesday appointed Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He had retired as the Eastern Army Commander in May last year and was serving as the Military Advisor to the National Security Council.

This is the first time that a retired officer has been appointed at this position for which a gazette notification was issued to announce the change in rules for the appointment.
In a career spanning over nearly 40 years, Lt Gen Chauhan has held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and northeast India.

He will also function as Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Military Affairs, with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders, an official release said.

Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired) will be the second CDS of the country after Gen Bipin Rawat who died in a helicopter crash in December last year in Tamil Nadu.

Born on 18th May 1961, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981.

He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

In the rank of Maj General, the officer had commanded an Infantry Division in the critical Baramula sector in the Northern Command.

Later as Lt General, he commanded a corps in the North East and subsequently went to become the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command from September 2019 and held the charge until his retirement 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.

He superannuated from the Indian Army on 31 May 2021.

Even after his retirement from the Army, he continued to contribute to national security and strategic matters.

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.

The post was lying vacant since December 8 last year after the death of General Bipin Rawat.

When General Bipin Rawat was appointed CDS by the Narendra Modi government within six months of coming back to power in 2019, it was hailed as one of the biggest reforms in the higher military structure of the country.

The CDS is also the single point of contact for the government for giving military advice and is the senior-most bureaucrat in the defence ministry which has four major departments.

The appointment comes amid efforts by the government to give a big push to indigenisation in the equipment for defence forces. (ANI)