Who will be appointed the next Chief of Defence Staff?

In the opinion of Broadsword, the general who is poised to be the next CDS: Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan (Retired).

Service record:  Lt Gen Anil Chauhan has served as the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO). He retired as the General Officer Commander-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Eastern Command. In army-speak, he was the Eastern Army Commander. The Eastern Army, which has a huge area of responsibility, is ranked alongside the Northern Army as one of the army's two most sensitive commands.

Age conditions: He retired on May 31st, 2021, when he turned 60. That means he would fulfil the 62 years condition till May 31st, 2023. He will remain in contention for almost a year.

Seniority: Lt Gen Anil Chauhan is senior to all three service chiefs. So there would be no embarrassing seniority-related friction in the event of his being appointed CDS, or tri-service chief.

Current occupation: Chauhan is working in the office of the National Security Council. The influential National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, has come to know him well and Chauhan has had the time to build a relationship.

Like General Bipin Rawat, Chauhan is from the 11th Gurkha Rifles. Both of them are from Uttarakhand.