Thursday, 09 December 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
A native of Uttarakhand, General Bipin Rawat was the first ever Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the country. A native of Sain village of Dwarikhal block in the state’s Pauri district, General Rawat was born on March 16 in 1958. His father Laxman Singh too was a high ranking officer (Lieutenant General) of Indian Army. General Rawat’s demise in the helicopter crash on Wednesday evoked grief across the state.
He did his early studies at Cambrian Hall School Dehradun and Saint Edward School Shimla before taking admission in the Indian Military Academy (IMA). As a gentleman cadet in the IMA passing out parade (PoP) he was awarded with the prestigious sword of honour. He started his army career in V battalion of Gorkha Rifles in 1978. General Rawat was in Uttarakhand last week to attend the convocation ceremony of the HNB Garhwal central university. Here he said that the Army is looking at the possibility of establishing a chair in the university. General Rawat was also slated to accompany the President of India Ram Nath Kovind in the PoP of IMA Dehradun on December 11.
Meanwhile, the governor, lieutenant general (retd) Gurmit Singh, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, various cabinet ministers and leaders of all parties have expressed deep grief at the demise of General Rawat and others in the helicopter crash. Dhami said that General Rawat’s accidental death is an irreparable loss to the nation, adding that he had made great contributions to national security. The nation will always remember the courageous decisions taken by him for national security and his contribution to always keep the morale of the armed forces high. “General Rawat reached the highest position in the armed forces due to his unique talents, hard work and courage. His accidental death is also an irreparable loss for Uttarakhand. We will always be proud of this great son,” said the CM.
