General Bipin Rawat appointed India's first Chief of Defence

Putting all speculations at rest, the Union government on late Monday evening  announced General Bipin Rawat as the country's first Chief of Defence (CDS) in what is considered as the biggest military reform of two decades. Gen Rawat will continue as the four-star General and will be the principal military advisor to the defence minister. He will also head the new Department of Military Affairs. 

“Government has decided to appoint Gen Bipin Rawat as the CDS with effect from December 31, 2019 and until further orders and extension of Gen Bipin Rawat with effect from December 31, 2019 and till such period he holds the office of CDS,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The appointment of the CDS was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address from the rampart of historic Red Fort. The recommendation of CDS was done by the Kargil Review Committee of 1999. Following the prime minister's announcement, a committee under the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was formed to recommend on the role and charter of duties of the CDS. 

The Department of Military Affairs headed by the CDS will deal with multiple areas including works relating to the Army, the Navy and the Air Force; procurement exclusive to the Services except capital acquisitions, as per prevalent rules and procedures and Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence comprising Army Headquarters, Naval Headquarters, Air Headquarters and Defence Staff Headquarters, and the Territorial Army. 

The government on Sunday had issued a gazette modifying the Service Rules of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force to enable the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and fixing the upper age limit at 65. 

Mentioning the mandate of the Department of Military Affairs, the government statement said it will be for i) Promoting jointness in procurement, training and staffing for the Services through joint planning and integration of their requirements, ii) facilitation of restructuring of Military Commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint/theatre commands, and iii) promoting use of indigenous equipment by the Services.

General Rawat as the CDS will not exercise any military command, including over the three Service Chiefs, so that he will be able to provide impartial advice to the political leadership. He will administer tri-service organisations. Tri-service agencies/organisations/commands related to Cyber and Space will be under the command of the CDS. 

General Rawat's stint as the Army Chief had started with a military turmoil after he was picked up by the government, ignoring two senior officers above him. General Rawat is superannuating on December 31 and  Vice Chief of Army Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane has already been appointed as the next Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to succeed him. 

Congratulating General Rawat, former army chief Gen Ved Malik (retd) says, “A much awaited measure to optimise combat power of India's armed forces. It will bring about greater jointness, synergy and better civil-military relations. Single point military advise should enable the CDS to be in decision making loop on defence related policies." 

During his three-year tenure as the Army chief, General Rawat has not only introduced a paradigm concept of hybrid warfare, but has also done a restructuring of the Indian Army to make it more lethal. He had ordered four studies on force restructuring and transformation of Indian Army including restructuring of Army headquarters, force restructuring, cadre review of officers and review of terms and conditions of junior commissioned officers and other ranks. 

General Rawat was commissioned in the Fifth Battalion of the Eleven Gorkha Rifles in December 1978, from Indian Military Academy, Dehradun where he was awarded the ‘Sword of Honour’.  The General Officer has vast experience in high altitude warfare and counter insurgency operations. He commanded an Infantry battalion, along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in the Eastern Sector; a Rashtriya Rifles Sector and an Infantry Division in the Kashmir valley, a Corps in the Eastern theatre and the Southern Command. He has tenanted instructional appointments at Indian Military Academy, Dehradun and at Army War College, Mhow. 

Before taking over as the Army Chief, Gen Rawat had held important staff appointments at Directorate General of Military Operations and Military Secretary’s Branch at Army HQ. He has also been Major General General Staff (MGGS) at HQ, Eastern Command.  The General Officer commanded a Multinational Brigade, in a Chapter VII mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC). While serving with the United Nations, he was twice awarded the Force Commander’s Commendation. 

Academically inclined, he has authored numerous articles on ‘National Security’ and ‘Leadership’, which have been published in various journals and publications. He was awarded M.Phil in Defence Studies from Madras University. He has a Diploma in Management and another Diploma in Computer Studies. General Rawat has also completed his research on military media strategic studies and was awarded Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D) from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut in 2011.