Lt-Gen Anil Chauhan appointed as India’s new CDS

Lt-Gen Anil Chauhan (61), a known China expert who retired as the Eastern Army Command chief in May last year, has been appointed as India's next chief of defence staff (CDS). He is currently the military advisor to national security advisor Ajit Doval and the National Security Council Secretariat. He will have to spearhead the entire process to build an integrated warfighting machinery within budgetary constraints through the creation of theatre commands and other structures.
Several officers who have served with Chauhan said that he is "the most suitable candidate" for the CDS post from the "selection pool currently available" to the country’s political leadership. A top military officer said that "Lt-Gen Chauhan’s key quality is that he thinks through a problem before offering a solution after great in-depth evaluation of all options. He does not behave in a know-it-all manner, nor does he act in a knee-jerk fashion."
In a boost to its ‘shock and awe’ capabilities along the borders with Pakistan and China, the Army has kicked off the acquisition process for 12 sets of armed drone swarms. They have proved their utility and lethality in recent conflicts ranging from Armenia-Azerbaijan to Russia-Ukraine.
This is the first time a retired three-star officer will return to active service as a four-star officer like the Army, Navy and IAF chiefs. Lt-Gen Chauhan will, of course, be the clear “first among the equals” as the permanent chairman of the chiefs of staff committee. Chauhan, who was commissioned in the 11 Gorkha Rifles in 1981 will also serve as the secretary of the department of military affairs in the defence ministry. He will also act as the military adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority chaired by the Prime Minister.