CDS Bipin Rawat's life, illustrious career and tragic death - in Pics

The death of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, 63, in a chopper crash on Wednesday (December 8, 2021) in the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu, has shocked the nation. Four crew members and ten passengers, including the CDS and his wife Madhulika, were on board the Air Force's Mi-17V5 helicopter. The chopper was headed to Wellington in Udhagamandalam, popularly known as Ooty, where a Defence Services Staff College is located. (Pic: PTI)

An alumnus of the St Edward School in Shimla and the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, General Rawat - born in Pauri, Uttarakhand, on March 16, 1958 - was a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington and did the Higher Command Course at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  (Pic:ANI)

General Rawat took charge as India's first Chief of Defence Staff on January 1, 2020. As India's first Chief of Defence Staff, General Rawat was tasked to bring in theatre command and jointness among the three services - Army, Navy and Air Force - and he was pushing it with a tough approach and specific timelines in the last two years. (Pic: IANS)

The CDS is mandated to facilitate integration, ensure best economical use of resources allocated to the armed forces and bring uniformity in the procurement procedure. As CDS, General Rawat was also the Principal Military Advisor to the Defence Minister on all tri-services matters. Later, he was also appointed as the head of the newly-created Department of Military Affairs. (Pic: Reuters)

On December 17, 2016, the government had appointed him as the 27th Chief of the Army Staff. He took charge on December 31, 2016, after the retirement of General Dalbir Singh Suhag. General Rawat was the Chief of Army Staff when Indian fighter jets pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan's Balakot, and was reportedly part of the decision-making process and provided key inputs for the operation. 

During the span of 43 years in the Army, General Rawat has been awarded several gallantry and distinguished service awards, including the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal, and Sena Medal. (Pic: PTI)