Gen Anil Chauhan meets Defence Minister Rajnath Singh after taking charge as new CDS

The newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India, General Anil Chauhan on Friday called on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi. This came moments after General Chauhan took charge as the country's senior-most military commander over nine months after first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat died in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu. A decorated Army officer, 61-year-old Chauhan was seen interacting with the Raksha Mantri at South Block in the national capital.

Earlier in the day, CDS Chauhan paid tribute to the brave hearts who sacrificed their lives for the country, by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in Delhi. While addressing the media after the wreath-laying ceremony at the National War Memorial, the newly appointed CDS said, "I am feeling very proud to take charge as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). I will try to fulfil the expectations of the three defence forces as the Chief of Defence Staff. Whatever security-related challenges we are facing, we will try to overcome them together and jointly".

He also received a Guard of Honour and met Army chief General Manoj Pande and IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari along with Navy vice chief Vice Admiral SN Ghormade and Air Marshal BR Krishna.

Gen Anil Chauhan becomes the 2nd CDS

Gen Anil Chauhan was appointed as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on September 28 (Wednesday), more than nine months after the post fell vacant following the death of General Bipin Rawat. In a career spanning nearly 40 years, Lt Gen Chauhan had held several command, staff, and instrumental appointments.

Anil Chauhan, who has been decorated with PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM and VSM has significant experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and North-East India. Notably, he was commissioned into the Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981. Born on 18th May 1961, he is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) Khadakwasla, Pune and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. Earlier, the officer had also served as a United Nations mission to Angola. The primary role of the CDS is to take the Army, Navy and the Airforce together.

(Image: ANI)