Bipin Rawat was born on March 16, 1958, in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India. He was India's first Chief of Defense Staff (CDS). On December 30, 2019, he became India's first Chief of Defence Staff. He joined the office as CDS on 01-01-2020 but died in a helicopter crash on 08-12-2021, which shocked the whole Indians.
Bipin Rawat's Biography & Career
Bipin Rawat was born into a Hindu family that has a long history of service to our country. Bipin completed his schooling at various schools, including St. Edward's School in Shimla and Cambrian Hall School in Dehradun for secondary education. After that, he went to Dehradun's Indian Military Academy and Khadakwasla's National Defence Academy. He earned the "Sword of Honour" throughout his army training here. Mr. Rawat also holds a bachelor's degree from the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. He then transferred to the US Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to finish the Higher Command Course. He also holds a certification in management and computer education from the University of Madras, as well as an MPhil in Defense Studies.
On December 16, 1978, he received his first assignment with the 5th battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles, which his father had already completed. He dedicated ten years of his life to counter-insurgency operations, leading his team on numerous deadly missions. Rawat was thereafter promoted to Major in the Indian Army and assigned to Uri, Jammu. He was promoted to brigadier after his great performance in the 5th battalion 11 Gorkha Rifles in the Eastern area.
Captain Rawat's unit was deployed against the Chinese People's Liberation Army during the Sino-Indian combat in the Sumdorong Chu valley in 1987. After the 1962 conflict, the standoff was the first military encounter along the disputed McMahon Line. He spent ten years doing counter-insurgency operations and has a lot of experience with high-altitude combat.
As a major, he led a company at Uri, Jammu and Kashmir. He commanded the 5th battalion, 11 Gorkha Rifles, in the eastern sector along the Line of Actual Control at Kibithu as a colonel. He was promoted to brigadier and led the Rashtriya Rifles' 5 Sector in Sopore.
Furthermore, Bipin did a lot of good work for India, and as a result, he rose to the rank of major general. At Uri, Jammu, he was the General Officer Commanding the 19th Infantry Division.
Family, Other Relationships of Bipin Rawat
Rawat married Madhulika Raje Singh in 1985. She was the daughter of Kunwar Mrigendra Singh, a former princely family descendent who served as the Riyasatdar of the pargana of Sohagpur Riyasat in Shahdol district and an Indian National Congress MLA from the area between 1967 and 1972. She attended Gwalior's Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya and earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Delhi University. Kritika and Tarini were the couple's two daughters.
During Bipin Rawat's time as Chief of Army Staff, Madhulika Rawat was the president of the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA). Upon the inception of the office and the appointment of General Bipin Rawat as the first CDS, she became the president of the Defence Wives Welfare Association (DWWA). She tried to ensure that the wives of military members were financially self-sufficient. She was also associated with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and welfare organizations, such as Veer Naris, which helps war widows, differently-abled children, and cancer patients.
Laxman Singh Rawat, a retired Lieutenant General, was his father. His mother was the daughter of Uttarakhand's former MLA, Kishan Singh Parmar. He married Madhulika Rawat, with whom he had two daughters, Tarini Rawat and Kritika Rawat.
CDS(Chief Defense staff)
From January 2020 until December 2021, he served as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian Armed Forces. India had a service-specific command mechanism in place as of 2021. Joint and integrated commands, sometimes known as unified commands and separated into theatre or functional commands, have been established, with more being suggested. Rawat stated in February 2020 that two to five theatre commands could be established. It will take several years to complete the construction of theatre commands, including integrated and joint commands. The Indian Air Force objected to the construction of unified theatre commands, citing resource constraints.
Dates of promotion in Indian Army
1) Second Lieutenant, December 16th, 1978
2) Lieutenant, 16 December 1980
3) Captain, 31st of July, 1984
4) Major, December 16th, 1989
5) Lieutenant Colonel, 1 June 1998
6) Colonel, August 1, 2003
7) Brigadier, 1 October 2007
8) Major General, October 20th, 2011
9) Lieutenant General, 1 June 2014
10) General (COAS), 1 January 2017
11) General (CDS), 31 December 2019
Honors
During his nearly 43-year career, he received 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 Army Commander's Commendation for valor and outstanding service. Uttam Yudh Seva Medal Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal Vishisht Seva Medal Wound Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Yudh Seva Medal Sena Medal Vishisht Seva Medal Wound Medal, Operation Parakram Medal Samanya Seva Medal High Altitude Service Medal Samanya Seva Medal Special Service Medal, 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal Videsh Seva Medal, Medal for 30 Years of Dedicated Service, Medal for 20 Years of Dedicated Service, Medal for 9 Years of Service, MONUSCO
Health Concerns, Illnesses, and Death
General Bipin Rawat was aboard an IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter with fourteen members (4 crew members and 10 senior army officers) and his wife when it crashed near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, on December 8, 2021 (Wednesday). This disaster killed Bipin Rawat, his wife, and everyone else onboard the IAF Mi-17V5. The Indian Army was able to collect all of the bodies. This day in Indian history will always be associated with tragic deaths.
