Gen Bipin Rawat is 1st CDS
| Date :31-Dec-2019 |
President Ram Nath Kovind shakes hands with Army Chief Bipin Rawat during a meeting in New Delhi on Monday. (PTI)
NEW DELHI :
The Chief of Defence Staff will act as the Principal Military Advisor to the Defence Minister on all matters relating to Tri-Services
ARMY chief General Bipin Rawat was on Monday appointed the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff whose mandate will be to bring in convergence in functioning of the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force. According to a Government order, General Rawat has been appointed CDS with effect from December 31. Meanwhile, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Monday called on President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Rashtrapati Bhawan in a tweet said: “General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff, called on President Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhawan.”
General Rawat, who was appointed the Chief of Army Staff on December 31, 2016, retires on Tuesday after completing a tenure of three years. General Rawat assumed charge as Chief of Army Staff on December 31, 2016. He was to retire on Tuesday from the service. Before becoming the Army Chief, he handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the LoC with Pakistan, the LAC with China and in the North-East. In a landmark decision, the Cabinet Committee on Security had last Tuesday approved the creation of the CDS who will act as the Principal Military Advisor to the Defence Minister on all matters relating to Tri-Services.
A key mandate of the CDS will be to facilitate restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint/theatre commands. Officials said that bringing about jointness in operation, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance of the three Services within three years will be another major mandate of the CDS.
Gen Naravane to take charge as Army Chief today
NEW DELHI :
LT GENERAl Manoj Mukund Naravane will take charge as the Chief of Army Staff on Tuesday succeeding General Bipin Rawat. Lt General Naravane is currently serving as vice chief of the Army. Before taking charge as vice chief of the Army Staff in September, Lt General Naravane was heading the Eastern Command of the Army which takes care of India’s nearly 4,000-km border with China. In his 37 years of service, Lt General Naravane has served in numerous command and staff appointments in peace, field and highly active counter-insurgency environments in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East.
He has also commanded a Rashtriya Rifles battalion in Jammu and Kashmir and an infantry brigade on the eastern front. Lt General Naravane is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy. He was commissioned into the 7th battalion, the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in June 1980. The General is a decorated officer who has been awarded the ‘Sena Medal’ (Distinguished) for effectively commanding his battalion in Jammu and Kashmir.
He is also a recipient of the ‘Vishisht Seva Medal’ for his services as the Inspector General Assam Rifles (North) in Nagaland and the ‘Ati Vishisht Seva Medal’ for commanding of a prestigious strike corps.
