Bipin Rawat

Some Lesser Known Facts About Bipin Rawat

• Bipin Rawat was a four-star General of the Indian Army who became the first Chief of Defence Staff of India on 31 December 2019. He died in a chopper crash on 8 December 2021.

• He was born into a Rajput Family of Uttarakhand that has been serving in the Indian Army for generations. Bipin Rawat belonged to the third generation of his family that had served the Indian Army. ^[12]The Times of India

  

• His father, Laxman Singh Rawat, had also served the Indian Army as Lt. General. Laxman Singh Rawat had risen from the ranks (being a soldier) to become the Deputy Chief of Army Staff.

• Bipin Rawat’s paternal uncle, Bharat Singh Rawat is a retired Havaldar (non-commissioned officer) of the Indian Army. His other uncle Harinandan also served in the Indian Army.

  

• Bipin Rawat’s uncle, Bharat Singh Rawat, describes him as “a very smart boy right from childhood.” He says,
  

  Bipin has managed to get where he is only through sheer hard work and honesty. We were very sure that he would achieve great success, and he has proved us right.”

• Bipin used to take inputs (when he was appearing for the Service Selection Board; SSB) from his old associate, Lt Col Onkar Singh Dikrit, who had known him since his young days and was the senior of his father in 2/11 Gorkha Rifles. ^[13]Times of India

• Bipin did his schooling at Cambrian Hall School, Dehradun, and the St Edward’s School in Shimla.

  

• After completing his schooling, he joined the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, where he was awarded the ‘Sword of Honour.’

• After passing out from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, he was commissioned into the 5th Battalion of 11 Gorkha Rifles, on 16 December 1978; the same unit as his father’s.

• Soon after his induction into the Indian army as a Second Lieutenant, Mr. Rawat started showing his military skills and went on to have lots of experience in high altitude warfare, and he spent ten years conducting Counter-insurgency operations.

• As a Major, he commanded a company in Uri, Jammu & Kashmir. As a Colonel, he commanded the 5th battalion 11 Gorkha Rifles in the Eastern sector along the Line of Actual Control at Kibithu.

• After being promoted to the rank of Brigadier, he commanded 5 Sector of Rashtriya Rifles in Sopore.

• For commanding a multinational Brigade in a Chapter VII mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Mr. Rawat was twice awarded the Force Commander’s Commendation.

• His promotion to Major General led him to take over as the General Officer Commanding 19th Infantry Division (Uri).

• As a Lieutenant General, Mr. Rawat commanded III Corps, headquartered in Dimapur before taking over the Southern Army in Pune.

• During his career span of 37 years, Bipin Rawat was awarded various gallantry awards including the Param Vishisht Seva Medal for his distinguished service.

• On 1 January 2016, Bipin Rawat was promoted to the Army Commander grade and assumed the post of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Southern Command, and after a short stint, he assumed the post of Vice Chief of Army Staff on 1 September 2016.

• On 17 December 2016, the Government of India appointed Mr. Bipin Rawat as the 27th Chief of the Army Staff, superseding two seniors – Lieutenant Generals Praveen Bakshi and P M Hariz. With this, he became the third officer from the Gorkha Brigade to become the Chief of the Army Staff after Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and General Dalbir Singh Suhag.

  

• Bipin Rawat was also the honorary General of the Nepalese Army.

  

• Mr. Rawat’s battalion was deployed against the Chinese People’s Liberation Army; during the 1987 face-off in the Sumdorong Chu valley.

• In February 2019, Mr. Rawat took a sortie in indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas in Bengaluru at the Aero India 2019. ^[14]Indian Express

  

• Mr. Rawat was very close to his hometown in Uttarkhand, and he often paid a visit to his native village even during his busy schedule.

  

• On one such visit to his native village Saina Birmoli, near Lansdowne, he desired to build a house in the village. His uncle Bharat Singh Rawat even showed him a plot to build his desired house.

  

• On 8 December 2021, an IAF Mi 17 V5 helicopter with a crew of 4 members carrying the CDS Bipin Rawat and 9 other passengers met with a tragic accident near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu, killing the CDS, his wife, and 11 more. According to the Indian Air Force, Bipin Rawat was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (Nilgiri Hills) to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course. ^[15]The Indian Express

  

• In September 2022, the Indian Army renamed the military camp at Kibithu as ‘Gen Bipin Rawat military garrison’ to honour the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS); Kibithu is a small hamlet on the banks of the Lohit Valley in the Rest of Arunachal Pradesh (RALP) close to the LAC. While sanctioning Rs 10 crore to the garrison, Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that it will be one of the best garrisons in the country. ^[16]The Hindu