By M S Nazki
Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life; dream of it; think of it; live on that idea. Let the brain, the body, muscles, nerves, every part of your body be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success, and this is the way great spiritual giants are produced…………..Vivekananda!
-You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul……………….Vivekananda!
-In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart………….Vivekananda!
-In a day, when you don’t come across any problems – you can be sure that you are travelling in a wrong path!………….Vivekananda!
-All power is within you; you can do anything and everything. Believe in that, do not believe that you are weak; do not believe that you are half-crazy lunatics, as most of us do nowadays. You can do any thing and everything, without even the guidance of any one. Stand up and express the divinity within you. ………… Vivekananda
-The story which we got went something like this:
-VIF extends a warm welcome to Gen. Anil Chauhan as he assumes charge as Director of the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF). As VIF begins a new chapter under Gen. Chauhan’s leadership, we also acknowledge with sincere gratitude the distinguished tenure of Dr. Arvind Gupta and his valuable contributions to the Foundation.
-India’s second Chief of Defence Staff and former Director General Military Operations, Gen. Chauhan is widely regarded as a distinguished strategic thinker and defence scholar. His extensive experience in national security, defence policy, geopolitics and military transformation will further strengthen VIF’s research and strategic dialogue. We look forward to this new chapter of institutional excellence and strategic engagement under Gen. Chauhan’s leadership and wish him every success in his new role!
-Vivekananda International Foundation
-The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) is an Indian public policy think-tank set up by Vivekananda Kendra, a Sangh Parivar organisation. It is considered closely associated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of India, even though the organisation denies any formal links.
-Origins and history
-The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) describes itself as an “independent, non-partisan institution that promotes quality research and in-depth studies.” The Foundation was established in December 2009, by Vivekananda Kendra, a Sangh Parivar organisation, at a site in Delhi allotted to the latter by the P. V. Narasimha Rao government in 1993.
-Ajit Doval, who retired as the director of the Intelligence Bureau in 2005, became its founder Director.
– Swaminathan Gurumurthy, associated with another Sangh Parivar organisation Swadeshi Jagran Manch, was a force behind its creation.
– The Foundation made news in 2011–2012 when it was described as being instrumental in bringing together Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi, along with Baba Ramdev, to form the ‘Team Anna’. The anti-corruption protests of the team which helped discredit the Indian National Congress government were run from the VIF.
-In 2014, its director Ajit Doval was appointed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi as India’s National Security Advisor. The Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra and the Additional Principal Secretary P. K. Mishra were also recruited from the Foundation’s staff.
– The Prime Minister Modi is said to have been following the Foundation for some time and is impressed with its work.
-Output
-The Foundation’s primary output ranges from short articles and reports published online to monographs and occasional papers and a quarterly journal called National Security.
– In addition, the Foundation also holds regular seminars and a monthly discourse on contemporary subjects titled Vimarsh. The think tank has also worked with other think tanks on joint reports. A monthly magazine Vivek is brought out too.
-The Vivekananda International Foundation is an independent, non-partisan public policy think tank based in New Delhi, India:
Key Details
* Founded: 2009 (established under the Vivekananda Kendra)
* Founder: Ajit Doval (current National Security Adviser of India)
* Location: 3, San Martin Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
* Leadership: Headed by Director Arvind Gupta and Chairman Swaminathan Gurumurthy
-Core Focus Areas
The foundation conducts research and organizes dialogues across six primary centers of study:
* National Security and Strategic Studies: Analyzes security challenges, counter-terrorism, and defense issues.
* International Relations and Diplomacy: Focuses on global strategy, foreign policy, and Track-II diplomacy.
* Neighbourhood Studies: Concentrates on seven neighboring countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
* Governance and Political Studies: Examines transparency, institutional efficiency, and public policy.
* Economic Studies: Tracks macro-economic policies and regional economic trends.
* Historical and Civilisational Studies: Explores India’s cultural, traditional, and civilizational history.
-Political Context and Influence:
* Affiliation: While the VIF describes itself as an independent and non-partisan institution, observers and commentators frequently identify it as having a right-of-centre or nationalist orientation, with ties to the wider Sangh Parivar through the Vivekananda Kendra.
* Government Influence: Several prominent figures from the foundation—including Ajit Doval, Nripendra Misra, and P.K. Mishra—assumed key roles within Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration.
-Major Activities:
* Publications: Publishes the quarterly journal National Security, the monthly magazine Vivek, and various policy briefs, monographs, and books.
* Events: Hosts regular lectures, international conferences, and the monthly Vimarsh discourse series.
-The great secret of true success, of true happiness, is this: the man or woman who asks for no return, the perfectly unselfish person, is the most successful.!
-The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves!
-Anything that makes weak – physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject it as poison!.
-We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far……… Vivekananda
-Dare to be free, dare to go as far as your thought leads, and dare to carry that out in your life………
-They alone live, who live for others……
-The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) appointed and welcomed former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan as its new Director on October 5, 2026, succeeding Dr. Arvind Gupta.
-VIF brought General Chauhan into the role for several key reasons:
* Strategic and Defence Expertise: General Chauhan brings extensive background in national security, military reform, jointness, and theatre-command planning from his tenure as India’s second CDS (September 2022 to May 2026).
* Strengthening Policy Research: VIF stated that his deep operational and strategic insight will deepen the New Delhi-based think tank’s research, dialogue, and policy inputs on geopolitics and defence transformation.
* Precedent and Continuity: VIF has a history of transition between top national security figures and the foundation (such as founder Ajit Doval before he became National Security Advisor), aligning retired defense leadership with the think tank’s strategic roadmap.
-About General Anil Chauhan”
-General Anil Chauhan PVSM UYSM AVSM SM VSM (born 18 May 1961) is a retired four-star general of the Indian Army who served as the 2nd Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian Armed Forces.
-On 28 September 2022, Gen Chauhan was recalled from retirement and was appointed as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) by the Government of India, following a June 2022 notification which permitted military retirees under the age of 62 to be qualified for the post.
– Assuming charge two days later, he became the first three-star retiree to be appointed to the post, traditionally held by a four-star officer. He succeeded General Bipin Rawat, the inaugural holder of the post, who had died in a helicopter crash in December 2021.
-Anil Chauhan is born in a Hindu Rajput family of Chauhan clan on 18 May 1961, hailing from the Gawana village Srinagar Garhwal, Uttarakhand.
– After completing his schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya at Fort William, Kolkata, he joined the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla (NDA) as part of the 58 Course in year. He subsequently joined to the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun (IMA) as part of the 68 Course in 1980.
– He is also a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, the Higher Command and National Defence College courses.
-Military career
-Gen Chauhan was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the 6th Battalion of the 11th Gorkha Rifles (6/11 GR) on 13 June 1981 from Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. Chauhans’s staff and instructional assignments include Instructional tenure at HQ IMTRAT, Bhutan, Military Observer on a UN Mission to Angola, General Staff Officer 1 (Operations) of the Mountain Division, Director, Perspective & Planning (TAS) at Army HQ, Chief of Staff at HQ 15 Corps and Director General of Discipline Ceremonial & Welfare.
-As a Major general, he commanded the Baramulla-based 19th Infantry Division of the Northern Command. In 2017, on promotion to the rank of Lieutenant general, he was appointed General officer commanding (GOC) of the Dimapur-based III Corps.
– In January 2018, he was appointed Director General Military Operations (DGMO), during the course of which he oversaw the execution of two key military operations: the 2019 Balakot airstrike against Pakistan and Operation Sunrise (2019) – a joint India-Myanmar counterinsurgency offensive.
-On 1 September 2019, he took over as the GOC-in-Chief Eastern Command succeeding Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane upon his elevation as the Vice Chief of Army Staff.
– He superannuated on 31 May 2021 and was succeeded by Lt Gen Manoj Pande. Following his retirement from active military service he served as a military advisor to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), headed by Ajit Doval, India’s fifth National Security Advisor.
Return to military service
-Chief of Defence Staff
On 8 December 2021, Gen. Bipin Rawat, the inaugural Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), died when his Mil Mi-17 helicopter carrying him and 13 others, crashed in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. Gen Rawat, who had only been in the post for twenty-three months, had no immediate successor to him, as the position of CDS had no defined order of succession, which led to it becoming vacant.
– Amidst growing uncertainty over the impending choice of appointing a successor, the Union Government appointed Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane, the then-Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), as an acting functionary to the position of Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (Chairman COSC), as an interim successor in an effort to temporarily oversee Gen Rawat’s responsibilities, while simultaneously looking for a successor.
– Gen Naravane, then the senior most chief amongst the three branches of the armed forces, was himself reported to be a plausible successor; however, his retirement in April 2022 put an end to those speculations.
-In June 2022, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued a gazette notification, which stated that any three-star officer under the age of 62 – lieutenant general, vice admiral or air marshal, whether serving or retired, would be considered qualified candidates eligible to appointed as CDS.
– The notification subsequently made Gen Chauhan, who had already retired as a lieutenant general at the age of 60, one of the key frontrunners in the pool of qualified candidates. Around the time of the notification’s release, Gen Chauhan was one of 14 candidates from the army, comprising both serving and retired commanders, who were eligible for the position.
-On 28 September 2022, the MoD released an official statement announcing that Gen Chauhan had been selected as the new CDS, which subsequently concluded the position’s nine-month vacancy.
-On 24 September 2025, Appointments Committee of the Cabinet extended his service tenure as the CDS and ex-officio Secretary, Department of Military Affairs up to 30 May 2026 or until further orders, whichever is earlier, from 30 September.
-Personal life
-General Chauhan is married to Anupama, an artist. The couple have a daughter, Pragya. An art enthusiast, he is a keen admirer of Tibetan art, a fact which he attributed to his wife. As a general officer and later as CDS, Gen Chauhan’s life bore several similarities to Gen Rawat’s; both men were commissioned in the same regiment, the 11th Gorkha Rifles and also hailed from the same ancestral region, the Pauri Garhwal district.
– As fellow officers, Gen Rawat was said to have held Gen Chauhan with high esteem; in 2022, when a military garrison along the Line of Actual Control was renamed after him, Gen Chauhan was amongst the dignitaries present at the renaming ceremony. Chauhan is also said to be close with Ajit Doval, with whom he had closely worked with during his retirement.
-Apart from his service in the military, Gen Chauhan authored two books: Aftermath of A Nuclear Attack – an analytic detailing the effects of a nuclear fallout, which was published in 2010 and History of 11 Gorkha Rifles Regimental Centre, a chronicle of the regiment he wrote during his stint as its commander. According to Chauhan’s known acquaintances, he is reputed to be an steady golfer and an ardent collector of masks.
-Honours and decorations
-President Kovind presenting the Param Vishisht Seva Medal to Lt. General Anil Chauhan.
-Over the span of his military career across four decades, Gen Chauhan received numerous military decorations. He was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011, the Sena Medal in 2014, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2015, the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal in 2018, and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2020.
-So we come to the end of the story but not before we add a few more lines by Vivekananda and about him!
-Swami Vivekananda (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902) was an influential Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, and the chief disciple of the mystic Ramakrishna. Born Narendranath Datta in Kolkata, he played a key role in introducing Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and reviving pride in Indian spirituality.
-Early Life & Background
* Birth & Name: Born on January 12, 1863, to Vishwanath Datta and Bhuvaneshwari Devi.
* Education: Graduated from Scottish Church College; studied Western logic, philosophy, history, and ancient Hindu scriptures like the Vedas and Upanishads.
* Spiritual Mentor: Met Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in 1881, which transformed his life and led him toward a monastic path after his guru’s death in 1886.
-Major Achievements &l Milestones
* World’s Parliament of Religions (1893): Delivered a famous speech in Chicago starting with “Sisters and brothers of America,” which brought him global acclaim as a messenger of Indian wisdom.
* Western Spread: Spent years lecturing on Vedanta and Yoga across the United States and London.
* Ramakrishna Math & Mission: Founded the organization on May 1, 1897, to promote Practical Vedanta, education, healthcare, and disaster relief.
-Core Philosophy & Legacy
* Service to Man is Service to God: Emphasized practical humanitarian work and uplifting the poor, women, and downtrodden masses.
* National Youth Day: His birth anniversary (January 12) is celebrated annually in India as National Youth Day to honor his inspiring impact on young generations.
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-Be not Afraid of anything. You will do Marvelous work. it is Fearlessness that brings Heaven even in a moment.
-All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying. Therefore love for love’s sake, because it is the only law of life, just as you breathe to live.
-You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.
-Neither seek nor avoid, take what comes.
-Feel nothing, know nothing, do nothing, have nothing, give up all to God, and say utterly, ‘Thy will be done.’ We only dream this bondage. Wake up and let it go..So this was that……. All the above sayings are by Vivekananda…..I have just compiled them.
