Indiaโs first chief of defence staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat was cremated on Friday with full military honours.ย
General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat were cremated at Delhi Cantonment in New Delhi.ย
Around 800 personnel from all the three services attended the cremation ceremony of General Bipin Rawat and his wife.ย
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General Rawat was bided farewell with a 17-gun salute as the buglers from the three services played the Last Post and Rouse.
Daughters of the CDS lit the funeral pyre.
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Top leaders of the country cutting across party lines paid their respects to the departedย soul of the CDS and his wife.ย
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Defence attaches of different nations also paid their tributes to CDS General Bipin Rawat.ย
Emmanuelย Lenain, Ambassador of France to India and Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India also paid tributes to CDS General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat.ย
CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other military personnel had died in a helicopter crash on December 8 atย Coonoorย in Tamil Nadu.ย
Mortal remains of only General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and Brigadier LS Lidder could have been positively identified thus far.
The last rites of Brigadier Liddar was held at the Delhi cantonment earlier on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has constituted a tri-service Court of Inquiry to probe and ascertain facts that led to the crash of its Mi-17v5 helicopter.ย
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Daughters of CDS General Bipin Rawat and Madhulika Rawat – Kritika and Tarini – also paid tribute to their parents.
Other members of the family also join them in paying last respects.
63-year-oldย General Bipin Rawat, aย four-star General of the Indian Army, was appointed as the countryโs first-ever chief of defence staff (CDS) in January 2019.ย
Prior to taking over as the CDS, he served as 57th and last Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee as well as 26th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.ย
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Born on March 16, 1958 in Uttarakhand Generalย Rawatย had the reputation of being a tough soldier and an inspiring commander.ย ย
Rawat was born at Pauri in Uttarakhand into aย Hinduย Garhwaliย Rajputย family.ย
His family had been serving in the Indian Army for multiple generations.ย ย
Rawatโs father Laxman Singh Rawat was from Sainj village of theย Pauri Garhwal districtย and rose to the rank ofย Lieutenant General.ย
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Bipin Rawat attendedย Cambrian Hall Schoolย inย Dehradunย and theย St Edwardโs School in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.ย
He then joined theย National Defence Academy (NDA)ย and theย Indian Military Academy (IMA), where he was awarded the โSword of Honourโ.ย
Rawat was also a graduate of theย Defence Services Staff Collegeย (DSSC),ย Wellingtonย and the Higher Command Course at theย United States Army Command and General Staff College.ย
From his tenure at the DSSC, he has aย MPhilย degree in Defence Studies.ย
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Rawat was commissioned into the 5th battalion ofย 11 Gorkha Riflesย on 16 December 1978, the same unit as his father.ย
He had much experience in high-altitude warfare and spent ten years conducting counter-insurgency operations.ย
As aย Colonel, he had commanded the 5th battalion of 11 Gorkha Rifles, in the Eastern sector along theย Line of Actual Control (LAC) atย Kibithuย in Arunachal Pradesh.ย
In 2019, General Rawat was inducted to the United States Army Command and General Staff College International Hall of Fame.ย
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He is also the honorary General ofย Nepalese Army.ย
During his career of nearly 43 years, he was awarded for gallantry and distinguished service with theย Param Vishisht Seva Medal,ย Uttam Yudh Seva Medal,ย Atiย Vishisht Seva Medal,ย Yudh Seva Medal,ย Senaย Medal,ย Vishisht Seva Medal, theย COAS Commendationย on two occasions and the Army Commanderโs Commendation.ย