Bipin Rawat

General Bipin Rawat was born in Pauri, Uttarakhand, to a Hindu Garhwali Rajput family.[9] His family had been serving in the Indian Army for multiple generations, and his father was Lieutenant General Laxman Singh Rawat.[10][11][12] Rawat attended Cambrian Hall School in Dehradun and the St. Edward's School[13] in Shimla. He then joined the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, where he was awarded the 'Sword of Honour'.

He is also a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington and the Higher Command Course at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.[14][15][16] From his tenure at the DSSC, he has a MPhil degree in Defence Studies as well as diplomas in Management and Computer Studies from Madras University. In 2011, he was awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy by Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut for his research on military-media strategic studies.[17][18]

General Rawat was commissioned into the 5th battalion of 11 Gorkha Rifles on 16 December 1978, the same unit as his father.[19][20] He has lots of experience in high altitude warfare and spent ten years conducting Counter-insurgency operations.[16]

He commanded a company in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir as a Major. As a Colonel, he commanded his battalion, the 5th battalion 11 Gorkha Rifles, in the Eastern sector along the Line of Actual Control at Kibithu. Promoted to the rank of Brigadier, he commanded 5 Sector of Rashtriya Rifles in Sopore. He then commanded a multinational Brigade in a Chapter VII mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) where he was twice awarded the Force Commander’s Commendation.

After promotion to Major General, Gen Rawat took over as the General Officer Commanding 19th Infantry Division (Uri). As a Lieutenant General, he commanded III Corps, headquartered in Dimapur before taking over the Southern Army in Pune.

He also held staff assignments which included an instructional tenure at the Indian Military Academy (Dehradun), General Staff Officer Grade 2 at the Military Operations Directorate, logistics staff officer of a Re-organised Army Plains Infantry Division (RAPID) in central India, Colonel Military Secretary and Deputy Military Secretary in the Military Secretary’s Branch and Senior Instructor in the Junior Command Wing. He also served as the Major General General Staff (MGGS) of the Eastern Command.

During his career span of 37 years, he has been awarded for gallantry and distinguished service with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal and the COAS Commendation on two occasions and the Army Commander’s Commendation.[14][21][22][23][24][25][26]

After being promoted to the Army Commander grade, Rawat assumed the post of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Southern Command on 1 January 2016. After a short stint, he assumed the post of Vice Chief of Army Staff on 1 September 2016.

On 17 December 2016, the Government of India appointed him as the 27th Chief of the Army Staff, superseding two more senior Lieutenant Generals, Praveen Bakshi and P M Hariz.[27] He took office of Chief of Army Staff as the 27th COAS on 31 December 2016, after retirement of General Dalbir Singh.[28][29]

He is the third officer from the Gorkha Brigade to become the Chief of the Army Staff, after Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and General Dalbir Singh Suhag.

He is also the honorary General of Nepalese Army. It has been a tradition between the Indian and Nepali armies to confer the honorary rank of General to each other's chiefs to signify their close and special military ties.[30]

UN Mission in Congo

While commanding MONUSCO (a Multinational Brigade in a Chapter VII mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Rawat had a truly outstanding tour. Within two weeks of deployment in the DRC, the Brigade faced a major offensive in the east which threatened not only the regional capital of North Kivu, Goma, but stability across the country as a whole. The situation demanded a rapid response and North Kivu Brigade was reinforced, where it was responsible for over 7,000 men and women, representing nearly half of the total MONUSCO force. Whilst simultaneously engaged in offensive kinetic operations against the CNDP and other armed groups, Rawat (then Brigadier) carried out tactical support to the Congolese Army (FARDC), sensitization programmes with the local population and detailed coordination to ensure that all were informed about the situation and worked together in prosecuting operations whilst trying to protect the vulnerable population. This hectic period of operational tempo lasted a full four months and during this time Rawat, his headquarters and his international Brigade, were tested to the full, across the operational spectrum. His personal leadership, courage and experience were pivotal to the success that the Brigade achieved. Goma never fell, the East stabilized and the main armed group was motivated to the negotiating table and has since been integrated into the FARDC. He was also tasked to present the Revised Charter of Peace Enforcement to the Special Representatives of the Secretary General and Force Commanders of all the UN missions in a special conference at Wilton Park, London on 16 May 2009.[14][15][32]

General Dalbir Suhag handing over the baton to Gen Bipin Rawat at the Army HQ

Bilateral visits as Chief of the Army Staff

Country	Date	Purpose	References
2017
Nepal	28 - 31 March	Bilateral discussions with President, Prime Minister and Defence Minister. Visited a high-altitude military warfare training centre at Pokhara and Muktinath.	[34][35]
Bangladesh	31 March - 2 April	Bilateral discussions with President, Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff. Visited headquarters of an infantry division and armoured corps at Bogra.	[35][36]
Bhutan	27 - 30 April	Audience with King of Bhutan. Goodwill visit.	[37]
Myanmar	28 - 31 May	Bilateral discussions with State Counseller, Union Minister for Foreign Affairs, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services and Commander-in-Chief of Army. Visited National Defence College, Nay Pyi Taw and Defence Services Academy, Pwin Oo Lwin.	[38]
Kazakhstan	1 - 3 August	Bilateral discussions with Defence Minister, Chairman of the National Security Committee, Vice Minister of Defence and Commander-in-Chief of Land Forces of Kazakhstan. Visited elite Air Assault Brigade and National Defence University in Astana	[39]
Turkmenistan	4 - 5 August	Bilateral discussions with Minister of Defence & Secretary, National Security Council, First Deputy Minister & Chief of General Staff, Commanders of Land, Naval, Air & Air Defence Forces Visited the Military Institute & Military Academy	[39]
2018
Nepal	12 - 14 February	Bilateral meetings with President and Prime Minister Chief guest at Army day of the Nepalese Army	[40][41][42]
Sri Lanka	14 - 17 May	Bilateral meetings with President, Prime Minister and Chiefs of Sri Lankan Armed Forces Visited the Sri Lanka Military Academy, Diyatalawa and military establishments at Kandy and Trincomalee	[43][44]
Russia	1 - 6 October	Bilateral meetings with senior military officers Visited the Mikhailovskaya Artillery Academy, Western Military District HQ (St Petersburg) and HQ and General Staff Academy at Moscow	[45]
Vietnam	22 - 25 November	Bilateral meetings with Defence Minister, Deputy Chief of the General Staff and other senior military personnel Visited the HQ of an infantry division near Hanoi and 7 Military Region HQ at Ho Chi Minh City	[46]
Tanzania  Kenya	17 - 20 December	Met senior civil and military leaders of the two countries	[47]
2019
United States	2 - 5 April	Bilateral meetings with Chief of Staff of the United States Army General Mark A. Milley and General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Visited the United States Military Academy at West Point and the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth	[48]
Maldives	30 Sept - 3 Oct 2019	Interacted with the hierarchy of the Maldivian government and armed forces. visit aimed at strengthening close bilateral defense ties between the two nations. Army Chief meet Mr Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Hon'ble President of Maldives, Ms Mariya Ahmed Didi, minister of defense, Mr Abdullah Shahid, foreign minister and Major General Abdulla Shamaal, chief of National Defense Forces. Military vehicles and military equipment exchanged	[49]

• Guard of honour during the handover ceremony in 2019