CDS Bipin Rawat

Table of Content

• Early Life of CDS Bipin Rawat
• Bipin Rawat's Military Career
• Bipin Rawat's Various Rank
• Honors and Decorations Awarded to Bipin Rawat

A four-star general in the Indian Army, Bipin Rawat was born on 16 March 1958 and died on 8 December 2021. During his career, he served as India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He was awarded various medals for his valor such as Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal. His appointment as CDS of India was announced on 30 December 2019 and he began his assignment on 1 January 2020.

During his tenure as CDS, Gen Rawat served as one point of contact for the government on military matters and he was responsible for the integration of the three services - Army, Navy, and Air Force. Additionally, he held the position of permanent chairman of the Chief of Staff Committee (COSC). Having served in some of India's most challenging terrain, including the northern and eastern commands, he is a veteran of counterinsurgency operations.

Bipin Rawat was killed in a crash of an Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter in Tamil Nadu on the evening of 8 December 2021. Members of Rawat's personal staff and his wife also died in the crash.

Early Life of CDS Bipin Rawat:

A Hindu Garhwali Rajput family brought Bipin Rawat into the world on 16 March 1958 in Pauri, Uttarakhand. Several generations of his family had been in the Indian Army. He was the son of Laxman Singh Rawat, a lieutenant-general who was from Sainj village in the Pauri Garhwal district.

He went to Dehradun's Cambrian Hall School and Shimla's St. Edward's School. He then attended the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, as well as the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, where he was awarded the sword of honor.

He also graduated from the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, and from United States Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In addition to his MPhil degree in Defence Studies, he earned diplomas in both Management and Computer Studies from the University of Madras during his tenure at the DSSC. As a result of his research on military media strategic studies, he received a Doctorate of Philosophy from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut in 2011.

Bipin Rawat's Military Career:

The Indian Army was led by General Bipin Rawat, who succeeded General Dalbir Singh Suhag in December 2016 as the 27th Chief of Army Staff (COAS). Rawat was a graduate of both the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Indian Military Academy (IMA). He entered the Indian Army in December 1978 and was stationed in the same unit as his father, the fifth battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles.

He has served as a Brigade Commander, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-C) Southern Command, and General Staff Officer Grade 2 at the Military Operations Directorate. Aside from becoming the Military Secretary, he held positions of Deputy Military Secretary and Senior Instructor in the Junior Command Wing.

His other experiences include serving as a member of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force and commanding a multinational brigade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. During his tenure as Vice-Chief of Army Staff, Rawat became the fourth officer from the Gorkha Brigade to hold the position of Chief of Army Staff.

Bipin Rawat's Role Against Pakistan: 

With Rawat at the helm, the Indian Army has taken some of the most drastic measures against Pakistan. The Indian Air Force carried out the Balakot strikes in February 2019 during his tenure, which included stronger defenses along the border with Pakistan. Along the Line of Control, he has also ensured retribution against unprovoked ceasefire violations committed by the Pakistani Army.

Bipin Rawat's Role Against China: 

Following the Doklam standoff that lasted over two months, he managed military affairs along the border with China as well. Regular border meetings, interactions, and joint exercises have helped to improve the relationship between the armies of China and India. In 2017, the Indian Army Chief, Gen. Rawat, stood up to the Chinese PLA at the tri-junction between Bhutan, India, and China for 73 days.

Bipin Rawat's Role Myanmar Strike: 

A highlight of his career was the Indian Army's cross-border operation into Myanmar, in which the Indian Army successfully responded to an ambush by NSCN-K militants, which resulted in the reduction of militancy in the northeast. During this mission, Rawat supervised the operation of Dimapur's III Corps. Moreover, he participated in the planning for Indian forces going across the Line of Control into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 2016. New Delhi's South Block was reported to be where Rawat monitored developments.

The surgical strike inside Myanmar was carried out by a crack team of about 70 commandos of the Indian Army who finished the operation within 40 minutes, leaving 38 Naga insurgents dead and seven injured. The decision of “hot pursuit” was taken hours after the Naga militants killed 18 soldiers in an ambush in Chandel area of Manipur on June 4 and clearance was obtained from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the night of June 7, soon after his return from Bangladesh, said sources privy to the details.

Bipin Rawat's Role UN Mission:

As Bipin Rawat took charge of the North Kivu Brigade of the UN's massive peacekeeping mission in 2008, things were not going well for MONUC, the world's most expensive peacekeeping operation. There was contempt among the locals for UN peacekeepers, who were questioned as to what impact the mission had made and accused of not protecting them properly. In Goma, capital of North Kivu and base for the Indian brigade, angry crowds would regularly hurl stones at UN vehicles.

Rawat commanded the Indian Army's largest overseas deployment in August 2008 as a brigadier. After arriving in the Congo, formerly known as Zaire, he understood instantly why the peacekeepers had difficulty containing the crisis. Upon his arrival, Rawat changed the velvet-glove strategy to an iron fist, authorizing the use of attack helicopters on rebel positions to strafe civilians and recruit child soldiers.

Tonga, Kanyabayonga, Rutshuru, and Bunagana were some of the hot spots in which he ordered infantry combat vehicles armed with machine guns and cannons to crush rebels and enforce peace. The general has been credited with demonstrating dynamic leadership under the UN banner. Under his leadership, the Indian peacekeepers adopted an iron fist approach instead of using a velvet glove.

Bipin Rawat's Various Rank:

• Second Lieutenant Indian Army - 16 December 1978
• Lieutenant of the Indian Army - 16 December 1980
• Captain of the Indian Army - 31 July 1984
• Major of the Indian Army - 16 December 1989
• Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army - 1 June 1998
• Colonel of the Indian Army Indian Army - 1 August 2003
• Brigadier of the Indian Army - 1 October 2007
• Major General of the Indian Army - 20 October 2011
• Lieutenant-General of the Indian Army - 1 June 2014
• General (COAS) of the Indian Army - 1 January 2017
• General (CDS) Indian Armed Forces (Tri-Service) - 30 December 2019

Honors and Decorations Awarded to Bipin Rawat:

The Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, COAS Commendation on two occasions, and the Army Commander's Commendation were awarded to him during his career for his gallantry and distinguished service.

• Param Vishisht Seva Medal        
• Uttam Yudh Seva Medal
• Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
• Yudh Seva Medal           
• Sena Medal       
• Vishisht Seva Medal
• Wound Medal  
• Samanya Seva Medal    
• Special Service Medal   
• Operation Parakram Medal
• Sainya Seva Medal         
• High Altitude Service Medal       
• Videsh Seva Medal        
• 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal
• 30 Years Long Service Medal     
• 20 Years Long Service Medal     
• 9 Years Long Service Medal        
• MONUSCO