IAF helicopter crash: Army Goodwill School in Pehalgam pays homage to CDS Bipin Rawat

The teachers and students of Army Goodwill Public School, Pehalgam, organised a Prayer Meet in Srinagar on Thursday, during which they observed two minutes of silence in honour of the late Chief of Defence Staff. On May 25, 2018, then-Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat launched the Digital Education Initiative at Army Goodwill Public School in Pahalgam. The late CDS Bipin Rawat is remembered fondly by the teachers and students who were present at the time.

The General will be remembered for his visionary leadership and revolutionary ideals for the rest of his life. He has emphasised the importance of incorporating digital learning into schools in order to promote and spread knowledge and ideas. He held education in high regard and saw Army Goodwill Schools as the backbone of Kashmir's prosperity.

IAF helicopter crash: Army Goodwill Public School Pays Homage to CDS Bipin Rawat

General Bipin Rawat's final journey from his home to the Brar Square cremation is expected to begin about 2 p.m. According to Republic TV sources, CDS Bipin Rawat took the IAF helicopter to Wellington since the weather in Coonoor was clear. According to the details revealed after the first phase of the investigation was completed, a carcade was also on standby at the Sulur Air Base to deal with the possibility of bad weather. Furthermore, the wreckage suggests that the chopper may have collided with a slope, according to sources.

IAF helicopter crash investigation

The helicopter had indicated its fall in 7-8 minutes in its last connection to the Sulur Air Base, but had not made a distress call, according to sources earlier in the day. The IAF helicopter disaster claimed the lives of 13 people, including the Chief of Defence Staff, his wife Madhulika Rawat, his Defense Adviser Brig Lakhbinder Singh Lidder, Staff Officer Lt Col Harjinder Singh, and nine other Armed Forces personnel. The tri-services team examining this occurrence is looking into all possibilities, including the possibility of human error.

In the wake of various stories about the crash of an Indian Air Force Mi-17V5 helicopter, the Indian Air Force issued a statement on Friday urging people to "respect the dignity of the deceased" and avoid "uninformed speculation." Both the IAF and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had already confirmed that a tri-services investigation into the tragedy had been ordered. The tri-services team probing the catastrophic chopper crash near Coonoor is led by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh. He is a helicopter pilot who oversaw investigations into numerous IAF aircraft mishaps. The IAF has also assured that the 'the inquiry would be completed expeditiously & facts brought out'. 

(IMAGE: Army Goodwill Public School)