MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt pays tribute to India's first CDS late Gen Bipin Rawat
MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt paid tribute to India’s first CDS General Bipin Rawat, who died tragically in a helicopter crash in December last year.
Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt on Saturday paid tribute to India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) late General Bipin Rawat. Ajay Bhatt unveiled CDS General Bipin Rawat's bust at United Service Institution of India (USI) in New Delhi to commemorate his first death anniversary.
During the ceremony, tributes were paid to General Rawat by Bhatt, current CDS General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande and other serving and retired members of the military fraternity.
General Bipin Rawat, who died tragically in a helicopter crash in December last year, was India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and longest-serving general. . During his illustrious service, General Bipin Rawat was conferred with PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM and Padma Vibhushan (posthumously).
At the event organised to commemorate General Bipin Rawat’s death, the Armed Forces and the USI took the initiative to institute a Chair of Excellence and a Memorial Lecture in the memory of General Bipin Rawat at the Institution.
REMEMBERING GENERAL BIPIN RAWAT
During his four decades in service, General Rawat had gained vast operational experience in the full spectrum of warfare. As a brigadier, he led successful counter-terrorism operations in Sopore and successfully commanded a multinational brigade under United Nations in Democratic Republic of Congo.
As a Major General, he had commanded an Infantry Division along the Line of Control in North Kashmir. As the Corps commander, he oversaw the conduct of hot pursuits of terror groups executed by Indian Army's Special Forces into Myanmar.
Later on, as Vice Chief of the Army Staff, he was instrumental in overseeing the surgical strikes against Pakistan-based terrorist groups in PoK.
As Chief of the Army Staff, General Rawat’s achievements were remarkable in all spheres of military and national security affairs. He followed the Indian Army’s motto of ‘Service before Self’ as a guiding principle throughout his Army career.
As the first CDS, he rallied for organisational and structural reforms to integrate the Armed Forces.