Bipin Rawat

General Bipin Rawat, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, ADC (born 16 March 1958)[3] is a four star general and the current Chief of Defence Staff of India. On 30 December 2019, he was appointed as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India and assumed office from 1 January 2020.[4][5][6][7] Prior to CDS, he served as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee as well as 27th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.[8]

General

Bipin Rawat

PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, ADC
Official Military Portrait
1st Chief of Defence Staff
Assumed office
1 January 2020
PresidentRam Nath Kovind
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Preceded byOffice established
57th Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
In office
27 September 2019 – 31 December 2019
PresidentRam Nath Kovind
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Preceded byBirender Singh Dhanoa
Succeeded byOffice abolished
27th Chief of the Army Staff
In office
31 December 2016 – 31 December 2019
PresidentPranab Mukherjee
Ram Nath Kovind
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Preceded byDalbir Singh Suhag
Succeeded byManoj Mukund Naravane[1]
37th Vice Chief of the Army Staff
In office
1 September 2016 – 31 December 2016
PresidentPranab Mukherjee
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Preceded byMan Mohan Singh Rai
Succeeded bySarath Chand
Personal details
Born (1958-03-16) 16 March 1958
Pauri, Pauri Garhwal, Uttar Pradesh, India (now in Uttarakhand, India)
RelationsLt Gen Laxman Singh Rawat (Father)
Alma materNational Defence Academy (BSc)
Indian Military Academy
Defence Services Staff College (MPhil)
U.S. Army Command & General Staff College (ILE)
Chaudhary Charan Singh University (PhD)
Military service
Allegiance India
Branch/service Indian Army
Years of service16 December 1978 – present
Rank General
Unit5/11 Gorkha Rifles
Commands Southern Command
III Corps
19th Infantry Division
MONUSCO North Kivu Brigade
Rashtriya Rifles, Sector 5
5/11 Gorkha Rifles
Service numberIC-35471M[2]
Awards

Early life and education

General Bipin Rawat was born in Pauri, Uttarakhand, to a Hindu Garhwali Rajput family.[9] His family had been serving in the Indian Army for multiple generations, and his father was Lieutenant General Laxman Singh Rawat.[10][11][12] Rawat attended Cambrian Hall School in Dehradun and the St. Edward's School[13] in Shimla. He then joined the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, where he was awarded the 'Sword of Honour'.

He is 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.[14][15][16] From his tenure at the DSSC, he has a MPhil degree in Defence Studies as well as diplomas in Management and Computer Studies from University of Madras. In 2011, he was awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy by Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut for his research on military-media strategic studies.[17][18]

Military career

General Rawat was commissioned into the 5th battalion of 11 Gorkha Rifles on 16 December 1978, the same unit as his father.[19][20] He has much experience in high-altitude warfare and spent ten years conducting Counter-insurgency operations.[16]

He commanded a company in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir as a Major. As a Colonel, he commanded his battalion, the 5th battalion 11 Gorkha Rifles, in the Eastern sector along the Line of Actual Control at Kibithu. Promoted to the rank of Brigadier, he commanded 5 Sector of Rashtriya Rifles in Sopore. He then commanded a multinational Brigade in a Chapter VII mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) where he was twice awarded the Force Commander’s Commendation.

After promotion to Major General, Gen Rawat took over as the General Officer Commanding 19th Infantry Division (Uri). As a Lieutenant General, he commanded III Corps, headquartered in Dimapur before taking over the Southern Army in Pune.

He also held staff assignments which included an instructional tenure at the Indian Military Academy (Dehradun), General Staff Officer Grade 2 at the Military Operations Directorate, logistics staff officer of a Re-organised Army Plains Infantry Division (RAPID) in central India, Colonel Military Secretary and Deputy Military Secretary in the Military Secretary’s Branch and Senior Instructor in the Junior Command Wing. He also served as the Major General General Staff (MGGS) of the Eastern Command.

During his career span of 37 years, he has been awarded for gallantry and distinguished service with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal and the COAS Commendation on two occasions and the Army Commander’s Commendation.[14][21][22][23][24][25][26]

After being promoted to the Army Commander grade, Rawat assumed the post of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Southern Command on 1 January 2016. 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 him as the 27th Chief of the Army Staff, superseding two more senior Lieutenant Generals, Praveen Bakshi and P. M. Hariz.[27] He took office of Chief of Army Staff as the 27th COAS on 31 December 2016, after retirement of General Dalbir Singh Suhag.[28][29]

He is 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.

On his visit to the United States in 2019, General Rawat was inducted to the United States Army Command and General Staff College International Hall of Fame.[30]

He is also the honorary General of Nepalese Army. It has been a tradition between the Indian and Nepali armies to confer the honorary rank of General to each other's chiefs to signify their close and special military ties.[31]

1987 Sino-Indian skirmish

During the 1987 face off in the Sumdorong Chu valley, Rawat's battalion was deployed against the Chinese People's Liberation Army.[32]

UN Mission in Congo

While commanding MONUSCO (a Multinational Brigade in a Chapter VII mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Rawat had a truly outstanding tour. Within two weeks of deployment in the DRC, the Brigade faced a major offensive in the east which threatened not only the regional capital of North Kivu, Goma, but stability across the country as a whole. The situation demanded a rapid response and North Kivu Brigade was reinforced, where it was responsible for over 7,000 men and women, representing nearly half of the total MONUSCO force. Whilst simultaneously engaged in offensive kinetic operations against the CNDP and other armed groups, Rawat (then Brigadier) carried out tactical support to the Congolese Army (FARDC), sensitization programmes with the local population and detailed coordination to ensure that all were informed about the situation and worked together in prosecuting operations whilst trying to protect the vulnerable population. This hectic period of operational tempo lasted a full four months and during this time Rawat, his headquarters and his international Brigade, were tested to the full, across the operational spectrum. His personal leadership, courage and experience were pivotal to the success that the Brigade achieved. Goma never fell, the East stabilized and the main armed group was motivated to the negotiating table and has since been integrated into the FARDC. He was also tasked to present the Revised Charter of Peace Enforcement to the Special Representatives of the Secretary General and Force Commanders of all the UN missions in a special conference at Wilton Park, London on 16 May 2009.[14][15][33]

General Dalbir Singh Suhag handing over the baton to Gen Bipin Rawat at the Army HQ

2015 Myanmar strikes

In June 2015, eighteen Indian soldiers were killed in an ambush by militants belonging to the United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFW) in Manipur. The Indian Army responded with cross-border strikes in which units of the 21st battalion of the Parachute Regiment struck an NSCN-K base in Myanmar. 21 Para was under the operational control of the Dimapur based III Corps, which was then commanded by Rawat.[16][34]

Bilateral visits as Chief of the Army Staff
Country Date Purpose References
2017
   Nepal 28 - 31 March
  • Bilateral discussions with President, Prime Minister and Defence Minister.
  • Visited a high-altitude military warfare training centre at Pokhara and Muktinath.
 [35][36]
 Bangladesh 31 March - 2 April
  • Bilateral discussions with President, Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff.
  • Visited headquarters of an infantry division and armoured corps at Bogra.
 [36][37]
 Bhutan 27 - 30 April
  • Audience with King of Bhutan.
  • Goodwill visit.
 [38]
 Myanmar 28 - 31 May
  • Bilateral discussions with State Counseller, Union Minister for Foreign Affairs, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services and Commander-in-Chief of Army.
  • Visited National Defence College, Nay Pyi Taw and Defence Services Academy, Pwin Oo Lwin.
 [39]
 Kazakhstan 1 - 3 August
  • Bilateral discussions with Defence Minister, Chairman of the National Security Committee, Vice Minister of Defence and Commander-in-Chief of Land Forces of Kazakhstan.
  • Visited elite Air Assault Brigade and National Defence University in Astana
 [40]
 Turkmenistan 4 - 5 August
  • Bilateral discussions with Minister of Defence & Secretary, National Security Council, First Deputy Minister & Chief of General Staff, Commanders of Land, Naval, Air & Air Defence Forces
  • Visited the Military Institute & Military Academy
 [40]
2018
   Nepal 12 - 14 February
  • Bilateral meetings with President and Prime Minister
  • Chief guest at Army day of the Nepalese Army
 [41][42][43]
 Sri Lanka 14 - 17 May [44][45]
 Russia 1 - 6 October
  • Bilateral meetings with senior military officers
  • Visited the Mikhailovskaya Artillery Academy, Western Military District HQ (St Petersburg) and HQ and General Staff Academy at Moscow
 [46]
 Vietnam 22 - 25 November
  • Bilateral meetings with Defence Minister, Deputy Chief of the General Staff and other senior military personnel
  • Visited the HQ of an infantry division near Hanoi and 7 Military Region HQ at Ho Chi Minh City
 [47]
 Tanzania
 Kenya		 17 - 20 December
  • Met senior civil and military leaders of the two countries
 [48]
2019
 United States 2 - 5 April [49]
Maldives		 30 Sept - 3 Oct 2019
  • Interacted with the hierarchy of the Maldivian government and armed forces.
  • visit aimed at strengthening close bilateral defense ties between the two nations.
  • Army Chief meet Mr Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Hon'ble President of Maldives, Ms Mariya Ahmed Didi, minister of defense, Mr Abdullah Shahid, foreign minister and Major General Abdulla Shamaal, chief of National Defense Forces.
  • Military vehicles and military equipment exchanged
 [50]

Honours and decorations
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

Dates of rank
InsigniaRankComponentDate of rank
Second LieutenantIndian Army16 December 1978[51]
LieutenantIndian Army16 December 1980[52]
CaptainIndian Army31 July 1984[53]
MajorIndian Army16 December 1989[54]
Lieutenant-ColonelIndian Army1 June 1998[55]
ColonelIndian Army1 August 2003[56]
BrigadierIndian Army1 October 2007 (seniority from 17 May 2007)[57]
Major GeneralIndian Army20 October 2011 (substantive, seniority from 11 May 2010)[58]
Lieutenant-GeneralIndian Army1 June 2014 (substantive)[59]
General
(COAS)		Indian Army1 January 2017[60]
General
(CDS)		Indian Armed Forces
(tri-service)		31 December 2019[61]
gollark: Okay.
gollark: Easy resource supplies are becoming depleted but we should be okay in the longer term
gollark: I calculated that we had millions of iron ore. We should be okay.
gollark: Though Terra may have shut it down recently.
gollark: Music supplied by GTech.

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Military offices
Preceded by
office established		 Chief of Defence Staff
1 January 2020		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa		 Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
27 September 2019–31 December 2019		 Succeeded by
office abolished
Preceded by
Dalbir Singh Suhag		 Chief of the Army Staff
31 December 2016 – 31 December 2019		 Succeeded by
Manoj Mukund Naravane
Preceded by
Man Mohan Singh Rai		 Vice Chief of the Army Staff
1 September 2016 – 31 December 2016		 Succeeded by
Sarath Chand
Preceded by
Ashok Singh		 General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief Southern Command
1 January 2016 – 31 July 2016		 Succeeded by
Pattiarimal Mohamadali Hariz
Preceded by
S. L. Narasimhan		 General Officer Commanding III Corps
1 September 2014 – 23 November 2015		 Succeeded by
Abhay Krishna
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