General Bipin Rawat takes charge as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff

As CDS, General Rawat will have to facilitate restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint/ theatre commands.

Updated: January 1, 2020 15:34 IST

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Newly appointed Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat inspects a joint military guard of honor in New Delhi. (AP Photo)

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Hours after assuming charge as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff(CDS), Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday congratulated General Bipin Rawat saying he is an outstanding officer who has served India with great zeal. (Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

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General Rawat was appointed a week after the Union Cabinet on December 24 approved the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as the principal military adviser to the government. The CDS will not exercise any military command, including over the three services chiefs, so as to be able to provide impartial advice to the political leadership. (Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

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On Saturday, the government had notified that the age of retirement for the CDS will be 65 years; General Rawat will turn 65 in March 2023 — if he continues till then, it will be a tenure of 3 years and 3 months. (Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

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General Rawat, who took over as Army Chief on December 31, 2016 after superseding two officers senior to him, was widely tipped to be the first appointee to the post of CDS after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the creation of the post during his Independence Day speech from Red Fort on August 15. (Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

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General Rawat was commissioned in the Gorkha regiment in 1978, after being awarded the Sword of Honour at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He commanded an infantry battalion along the Line of Actual Control with China, and a Rashtriya Rifles sector in Kashmir as a Brigadier. He commanded an infantry division in Kashmir and a corps in Eastern Command, before serving as the Southern Army Commander and the Vice Chief of Army Staff. (Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

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Hours after General Bipin Rawat took charge as the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff on Tuesday, the Ministry of Defence shared details of how his new uniform will look like. The Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI), Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army), tweeted out pictures of the car flag, peak cap, shoulder rank badges, belt buckle and buttons on working dress of the CDS. It also mentioned that General Rawat, after taking over the new role, will have his office in South Block. (Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey)