New Delhi:- Retiring Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Saturday described his three-year and eight-month tenure as 'extremely satisfying', during which his main focus was on creating synergy between the three services. Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani (retd) will take over as India's next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters after the guard of honour of the three services, the retiring CDS said that his tenure has been excellent. General Chauhan, who was the Eastern Army Commander, took over as the country's senior military commander in September 2022, when the first CDS General Bipin Rawat died in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu.
During his tenure, he played a key role in the planning and execution of ‘Operation Sindhur’ along with the Chiefs of the three Services and stressed on coordination to enhance India’s military strength in view of the regional security situation. In addition, he took several steps to implement the theatreisation model by creating integrated military commands.
General Chauhan, who was commissioned in 11 Gorkha Rifles in 1981, has extensive experience in counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir and North-East India and has been awarded several prestigious medals including the Param Vishisht Seva Medal.