CDS Bipin Rawat: Birth, Early Life, and Education
General Bipin Rawat was named the first Chief of the Defence Staff of India on 30 December 2019. As of 1 January 2020, he assumed the post.
Birth and Family: Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defense Staff, was born in Pauri, Uttarakhand. Rawat’s father, Laxman Singh Rawat, served in the Indian Army and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General. His mother was the daughter of an ex-MLA from Uttrakhand’s Uttarkashi.
Education: His formal education included Cambrian Hall School in Dehradun and St. Edward’s School in Shimla, and he attended the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, where he was awarded the ‘Sword of Honour’..
He was also a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington and the Higher Command Course at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Additionally, he held an M.Phil in Defence Studies and a Diploma in Management and Computer Studies from the University of Madras. For his research on military media strategic studies, he was honoured with a Doctorate of Philosophy by Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut.
CDS Bipin Rawat: Military Career
CDS Bipin Rawat was commissioned into the 5th battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles on 16 December 1978, the same unit as his father Laxman Singh Rawat. Over the last ten years, he has conducted counterinsurgency operations at various ranks, from Major to CDS.
CDS Bipin Rawat commanded a company in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir when he was a Major. During the LAC at Kibithu, he commanded a battalion as a Colonel. When he was promoted to Brigadier, he commanded the 5th Sector of Rashtriya Rifles in Sopore and the multinational Brigade in a Chapter VII mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), where he was twice honoured with the Force Commander’s Commendation.
When Bipin Rawat was promoted to the rank of Major General, he became the General Officer Commanding the 19th Infantry Division in Uri. Lieutenant General Singh commanded the III Corps, based in Dimapur, before overseeing the Southern Army in Pune.
After his promotion to the Army Commander grade, he assumed the position of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Southern Command. As Vice Chief of Army Staff, he was promoted after a short stint in the position.
On 17 December 2016, the Government of India appointed him as the 27th Chief of Army Staff and he assumed office on 31 December 2016. In addition, he served as the 57th and last Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Indian Army. As the first CDS, he was appointed on 30 December 2019 and assumed office on 1 January 2020.
CDS Bipin Rawat Death
The Indian Air Force declared the Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces dead. His helicopter, a Mi 175 V5, crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu, while he was on board