General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff will now retire on completion of 65 years of age

General Anil Chauhan’s tenure as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)

In June 2022, the Ministry of Defence established a permanent set of appointment-cum-succession rules for the office of the Chief of Defence Staff. Any four-star or three-star officers from the armed services, notwithstanding their status of being active or retired, would be deemed eligible candidates to be appointed, provided they had not attained the age of 62 at the time of appointment.

The appointment regulations for CDS, whilst same for the three services, are classified distinctively, namely:

Indian Army: Army (Amendment) Rules, 2022

Indian Navy: Naval Ceremonial, Conditions of Service and Miscellaneous (Amendment) Regulations, 2022

Indian Air Force: Air Force (Amendment) Regulations, 2022

Unlike the service chiefs, the CDS has no fixed tenure, but only an upper age limit tenuring the office to the maximum deemed age of 65.

The full tenure of Chief of Defence being till 65 years of age, Centre has accordingly extended the tenure of General Anil Chauhan as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) for eight months till May 30, 2026, or until further orders. General Chauhan was appointed as CDS on September 28, 2022.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the extension of General Chauhan’s service and order was issued on September 24, 2025.

He will also continue to function as Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Military Affairs. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) is the Principal military Authority and the senior most appointment of India’s Armed Forces.

Deemed the overall professional head of India’s three armed services, namely, the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, the CDS is the highest-ranking military officer in service.

The CDS wears four hats as under :

▪ As CDS he functions as the Principal Military Advisor to the Cabinet Committee Security.

▪ As the Permanent-Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC), he is the Principal Military Advisor to the Raksha Mantri.

▪ He is the Single point Military Advisor to the Political Council of the Nuclear Command Authority.

▪ As the head of HQ Integrated Defence HQ, he is responsible for ensuring the establishment and preservation of military integration.

▪ Statutorily, the CDS also holds the appointment of Secretary to the Government of India of the Department of Military Affairs as part of MoD (its akin to PM also being the Minister for certain departments functioning directly under him).

General Anil Chauhan was Commissioned into the Indian Army in 1981, and had a distinguished and illustrious career, holding key command and staff appointments.

For his exemplary services, General Chauhan has been decorated with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal

General Anil Chauhan successfully led the defence forces in Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.