Former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has been appointed to a new position at one of Delhi's leading strategic think tanks—the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF). He will assume his duties on October 5, taking over the role from former Deputy National Security Advisor Arvind Gupta.
General Chauhan served as CDS for over three years and retired on May 30 of this year. He was appointed to the post of second CDS of the country in September 2022.
S. Gurumurthy is the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Vivekananda International Foundation. The committee also includes former Ambassador Satish Chandra, former Army Chief General N.S. Vij, former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal, former R&AW Chief C.D. Sahai, and Lieutenant General A.K. Sahani. Ajit Dobhal, a national security advisor, founded the directorate of VIF.
General Anil Chauhan is a graduate of the National Military Academy and the Indian Military Academy. He commissioned into the 11th Gurkha Rifles in 1981 and held several important posts in the army. As a Major General, he commanded an infantry division in the Baramauala sector, and later led a corps in the Northeast. From September 2019 to May 2021, he served as GOC-in-C East Command.
VIF is known for discussing issues related to national security and strategy. The foundation regularly holds a series of dialogues called 'Vimarsh' (VIMARSH). General Chauhan himself regularly participated in VIF events in recent months and commented on 'Operation Sindur' and the subsequent situation.
The foundation states that it engages in discussions with the diplomatic community in New Delhi to present India's viewpoint and understand the opinions and views of other countries, thereby promoting India's political, strategic, economic, and cultural interests.