Gen Bipin Rawat no more: Key decisions taken by him as India's 1st Chief of Defence Staff

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 12 others, including his wife Madhulika Rawat, died in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor on Wednesday. Of the 14 aboard, only Group Captain Varun Singh survived the crash and is undergoing treatment. Gen Bipin Rawat had an illustrious career with over 40 years of experience. He was the 26th Chief of Army Staff before becoming the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India on January 1, 2020.

As the CDS, General Rawat was the chief of tri-service (Army, Navy and Air Force). He was a one-point advisor to the Centre on matters pertaining to the military. During his tenure as CDS, General Rawat took several key decisions including an action plan on China's transgression.

General Bipin Rawat: The 1st CDS of India

In the last 2 years, there have been a few confrontations with the Chinese Army, including a violent clash last year in Galwan Valley in Leh and Ladakh which led to the deployment of tens of thousands of soldiers by both sides. The General had since then prepared the armed force to deal with People's Liberation Army transgression head-on if required. He was also of the belief that military option was available to deal with PLA's transgression if talks between both the countries failed to fructify.

In June this year, taking a jibe at China, Gen Rawat, who was part of the top military brass strategising on the Sino-India border issue, had said, "Chinese deployment on border with India has undergone a change, especially after incidents that happened in Galwan and other areas in May and June 2020. Thereafter, they realized that they need to be better trained and better prepared."

In October 2021, the General had called out China for providing continuous support to Pakistan to facilitate violence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. 

General Rawat was also the brain behind the surgical strike against Pakistan during his term as Vice Chief of Army Staff in 2016, in which Indian forces went across LoC into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It was reported that General Rawat was monitoring the developments from New Delhi.

During his illustrious career, General Rawat has been conferred several presidential awards which include the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Yudh Seva Medal (YSM), Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) and aide-de-camp (ADC).