NEW DELHI, 28 Sep: Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (retd), a former eastern Army commander and director general of military operations, was on Wednesday appointed as India’s new Chief of Defence Staff, more than nine months after the post fell vacant following the death of Gen Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash.
Sixty-one-year-old Chauhan, known as a China expert, will also function as secretary
in the Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders, the defence ministry said.
He 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.
Lt Gen Chauhan (retd) 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.
At present, he is serving as the military advisor in the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) headed by NSA Ajit Doval. (PTI)
