Lt. Gen Anil Chauhan took charge as the DGMO (Director General of Military Operations) of the Indian Army.
- He will replace Lt. Gen Anil Bhatt, who is going to take charge as the new commander of the Srinagar based 15 Corps (the Chinar corps).
- Lt. General Anil Chauhan has vast experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and has held several important posts in the Army.
- As DGMO, Lt General Chauhan will oversee various operations of the Indian Army including those along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.
- He was earlier commander of the Dimapur-based 3 Corps.
- Lt. General Anil Chauhan had been commissioned into the 11th Gorkha Rifles in 1981 and had also served as military observer for UN peacekeeping mission in Angola.
- He has received many awards for his service to the Indian Army. These include the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (2018), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, the Sena Medal, the Vishisht Seva Medal.
About the DGMO and its role
The Indian Army as a whole consists of various Combat as well as Service Arms. Every Combat/Service Arm has a head, who is considered the senior-most officer of that arm. All infantry regiments have a senior most officer commissioned into that regiment known as the “Colonel of the Regiment”. Each of these arms or service are headed by the senior most officer called the Director General (DG) of that arm. These DG’s coordinate the units of their Arm and report to the COAS when necessary. This is done as the COAS cannot effectively manage such a large army. So whenever he needs info, he will call upon the DG of that particular Arm to brief him. Now, when the surgical strikes were planned, the COAS approves the plan laid out in presence of the Cabinet ministers who are present. So the strike is a “Military Operation”. Hence, the DGMO is the head and the media representative and not the COAS. He plans and executes the operation.
