New Delhi: Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan (retired) took charge as the Chief of Defence Staff on Friday, September 30. CDS Chauhan received the Guard of Honour at the South Block, Delhi today. In his first speech as CDS, he expressed his gratitude to the forces and promised to fulfil the expectations and tackle all challenges and difficulties together.
“I’m proud to be assuming the responsibility of the highest rank in the Indian Armed Forces. I will try to fulfil the expectations from the three defence forces as the Chief of Defence Staff. We will tackle all challenges & difficulties together,” he said.
Army chief General Manoj Pande, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Navy vice chief Vice Admiral SN Ghormade and Air Marshal BR Krishna were also present at the ceremony.
A photo with his wife Anupama Chauhan in the office of Chief of Defence Staff after taking charge today. CDS Anil Chauhan is the second CDS after General Bipin Rawat.
The decorated Army officer, 61-year-old Chauhan will also be functioning as Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs. On Wednesday, the government announced appointing Chauhan as the new Chief of Defence Staff, more than nine months after the post fell vacant following the death of General Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash.
Lt Gen Chauhan (retd) is from the 11 Gorkha Rifles, the same regiment as Gen Rawat. Lt Gen Chauhan (retd) was 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 retired from the service in May last year when he was serving as the eastern Army Commander. As the Eastern Army Commander, he played a significant role in bolstering India’s overall combat readiness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim sectors.
Bureau Report
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