1. On 28 September 2022, Gen Chauhan was recalled from retirement and was appointed as Chief of Defence Staff by the Narendra Modi-led government, following a June 2022 notification which permitted military retirees under the age of 62 to be qualified for the post.
Anil Chauhan succeeded General Bipin Rawat, the inaugural holder of the post, who had died in a helicopter crash in December 2021.
Anil Chauhan was born in a Hindu Garhwali Rajput family of Chauhan clan on 18 May 1961, hailing from the Pauri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand.
Anil Chauhan subsequently joined to the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun as part of the 68 Course in 1980.
Anil Chauhan is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, the Higher Command and National Defence College courses.
Gen Anil Chauhan was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the 6th Battalion of the 11th Gorkha Rifles on 13 June 1981 from Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.
The notification subsequently made Gen Anil Chauhan, who had already retired as a lieutenant general at the age of 60, one of the key frontrunners in the pool of qualified candidates.
Around the time of the notification's release, Gen Anil Chauhan was one of 14 candidates from the army, comprising both serving and retired commanders, who were eligible for the position.
On 28 September 2022, the MoD released an official statement announcing that Gen Anil Chauhan had been selected as the new CDS, which subsequently concluded the position's nine-month vacancy.
Anil Chauhan is said to be close with Ajit Doval, with whom he had closely worked with during his retirement.
Apart from his service in the military, Gen Anil Chauhan authored two books: Aftermath of A Nuclear Attack - an analytic detailing the effects of a nuclear fallout, which was published in 2010 and History of 11 Gorkha Rifles Regimental Centre, a chronicle of the regiment he wrote during his stint as its commander.
Anil Chauhan was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011, the Sena Medal in 2014, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2015, the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal in 2018, and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2020.