Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan (retired) was named the Chief of Defence Staff by the Central government of India on Wednesday. He will replace General Bipin Rawat who died in a helicopter crash in December last year. 

The Ministry of Defence issued a statement announcing his appointment, which reads:

““The Government has decided to appoint Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who shall also function as Secretary to Government of India, Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders.”

Lt Gen Chauhan retired in May 2021 and had previously served as the General Officer Commander-in-Chief of Eastern Command from 2019 to 2021. 

An alumnus of the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, Lt Gen Chauhan was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles in 1981. Over the course of his 40 year career, he has held various commands including in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in East India. He has also previously served as the Director General of Military Operations of the Indian Army.

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The new CDS married his wife Anupama Chauhan sometime during his military service, and the two have a daughter together named Pragya Chauhan. 

It is not clear how much Lt Gen Chauhan made over the years, as different pay scales are applied to different ranks in the Indian army. These pay scales are decided by the Pay Commission. However, according to a report from adda247 defence, a Lieutenant General’s salary is a Level 17 category and is fixed at Rs 2,25,000 per month. However, that does not include the numerous perks and benefits that come with being part of the Indian Army as well as seniority in the service.