GENERAL BIPIN RAWAT

Bipin Rawat (16 March 1958 – 8 December 2021) was an Indian military officer who was a four-star general of the Indian Army. He served as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian Armed Forces from January 2020 until his death in a helicopter crash on December 2021. Prior to taking over as the CDS, he served as the 57th and last Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee as well as 26th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.

He was born in pauri town of pauri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand state.His family had been serving in the Indian army for multiple generations.He married Madhulika Rawat who was the president of the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) during Bipin Rawat’s tenure as chief of army staff.

Military career

On December 16, 1978, CDS Bipin Rawat was assigned to the 5th Battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles, the same unit as his father Laxman Singh Rawat. He hasspent 10 years in counterinsurgency operations and hasserved in various majors to current CDSs. While in the post of major, CDS Bipin Rawat commanded a company in Uri, Jammu, and Kashmir. He commanded his battalion along the LAC at Kibithu as a colonel.

After being promoted to the rank of brigadier, he commanded Sector 5 of the Rashtriya Rifles in Sopore and the multinational brigade during a Chapter VII mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).Days after the govt announced the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff(CDS) post,retiring army chief,General Bipin Rawat,was appointed the first tri-service chief with effect with december31,2019.

DEATH:

On 8 December 2021, Rawat, his wife and members of his staff were amongst 10 passengers and 4 crew members aboard an Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 helicopter flight en route from the Sulur Airforce base to the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington, where Rawat was to deliver a lecture. At around 12:10 p.m. local time, the aircraft crashed .The crash site was 10 km from the flight's intended destination. Rawat's death – and those of his wife and 11 others – was later confirmed by the Indian Air Force.

CDS LAID TO REST WITH FULL MILITARY HONOURS:

The nation on Friday bid farewell to CDS General Rawat as he was laid to rest with full military honours at Brar Square crematorium in Delhi cantonment. As per protocol, General Rawat was accorded a 17-gun salute at his funeral where 800 service personnel were in attendance. His daughters Kritika and Tarini performed Rawat and his wife Madhulika’s last rites.Several political leaders

such as Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, and DMK leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi, among others, paid tributes to the CDS and his wife.