Former Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan has been appointed Director of the think tank Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF).Based in New Delhi, the VIF has an executive committee chaired by S Gurumurthy. Former Ambassador Satish Chandra and former Army Chief NC Vij are the other two members.Gen Chauhan, who retired on May 30 this year after serving for more than three years as CDS, will take over on October 5 from Arvind Gupta, a former Deputy National Security Adviser (Dy NSA).Born in 1961, Gen Anil Chauhan was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.In the rank of Major General, the officer commanded an Infantry Division in the critical Baramula sector of the Northern Command. Later, as a Lieutenant General, he commanded a corps in the Northeast and subsequently became the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command in September 2019. He held the position until his retirement from the service in May 2021.The Vivekananda International Foundation website says the think tank “interacts with the diplomatic community in New Delhi to project India’s viewpoint and to understand the views and perceptions of other nations to further India’s political, strategic, economic and civilisational interests.”It also organises events, conferences, lectures, seminars and discussions, and invites scholars and subject specialists for an exchange of ideas. It organises exhibitions, cultural events and training workshops for students and other targeted groups, as well as yoga classes, to involve citizens across age groups and professions in the task of national regeneration.The Foundation also engages policymakers on issues of topical interest and shares VIF’s views and concerns with them. It prepares policy briefs for limited circulation among people in government, parliamentarians, members of the judiciary, those heading and working in constitutionally mandated institutions, and civil society.The VIF was founded in 2009 by Ajit Doval, the former Intelligence Bureau director who is now the National Security Adviser.