Bipin Rawat

Rawat was commissioned into the 5th battalion, the 11 Gorkha Rifles (5/11 GR) on 16 December 1978, the same unit as his father.[20][21] During the 1987 Sino-Indian skirmish in the Sumdorong Chu valley, then Captain Rawat's battalion was deployed against the Chinese People's Liberation Army.[22] The standoff was the first military confrontation along the disputed McMahon Line after the 1962 war.[23]

Early in his career, Rawat had an instructional tenure at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He had much experience in high-altitude warfare and spent ten years conducting counter-insurgency operations.[17] He commanded a company in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir as a Major. He attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. After the course, he was appointed General Staff Officer, Grade 2 (GSO2) at the Military Operations Directorate at Army headquarters. He also served as a logistics staff officer of a Re-organised Army Plains Infantry Division (RAPID) in Central India. He attended the Higher Command Course at the United States Army Command and General Staff College (USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

As a colonel, Rawat commanded his battalion, the 5th battalion, the 11 Gorkha Rifles, in the eastern sector along the Line of Actual Control at Kibithu. For his command of 5/11 GR, he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 January 2001.[24] He also served as Colonel Military Secretary (Col MS) and Deputy Military Secretary in the Military Secretary’s Branch and as a Senior Instructor in the Junior Command Wing.[25][26]

On 26 January 2005, he was awarded the Sena Medal for devotion to duty.[27] Promoted to the rank of Brigadier, he commanded 5 Sector Rashtriya Rifles in Sopore. He was awarded the Yudh Seva Medal for his command of 5 Sector RR.[28]

Rawat commanded MONUSCO (a Multinational Brigade in a Chapter VII mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Within two weeks of deployment in the DRC, the Brigade faced a major offensive in the east which threatened the regional capital of North Kivu, Goma. The offensive also threatened to destabilise 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), He sensitised programmes with the local population and detailed coordination to ensure that all were informed about the situation and worked together in the progress of operations. He was responsible for the protection of the vulnerable population.

This operational period lasted for four months. 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.[15][16][29] Rawat was twice awarded the Force Commander’s Commendation.[25][26]

After promotion to Major General, Rawat took over as the General Officer Commanding 19th Infantry Division (Uri). For his command of the Dagger Division, as the 19th Infantry Division is called, he was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 January 2013.[30] He subsequently served as the Major General General Staff (MGGS) of the Eastern Command.

Rawat as the VCOAS.

Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, he was appointed General Officer Commanding III Corps, headquartered in Dimapur. In June 2015, eighteen Indian soldiers were killed in an ambush by militants belonging to the United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFW) in Manipur. The Indian Army responded with cross-border strikes in which units of the 21st battalion of the Parachute Regiment struck an NSCN-K base in Myanmar. 21 Para was under the operational control of the Dimapur based III Corps, which was then commanded by Rawat.[17][31] For his command of III Corps, he was awarded the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal on 26 January 2016.[32]

After relinquishing command of III Corps, Rawat was appointed General Officer Commanding Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area, headquartered in Mumbai.[33] After a short stint, he was promoted to the Army Commander grade and assumed the post of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Southern Command on 1 January 2016.[25][26] After an eight-month tenure, he assumed the post of Vice Chief of the Army Staff on 1 September 2016.[34][35]

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

On 17 December 2016, the Government of India appointed Rawat as the 27th Chief of the Army Staff, superseding two more senior Lieutenant Generals, Praveen Bakshi and P. M. Hariz.[36] The appointment made by NDA ruled Government was politically controversial.[37] Rawat was accused of nepotism and gratuitously politicising the appointment, by the senior serving and retired military officers.[38]

He took office of Chief of the Army Staff as the 27th COAS on 31 December 2016, after retirement of General Dalbir Singh Suhag.[39][40] He was the third officer from the Gorkha Brigade to become the Chief of the Army Staff, after Sam Manekshaw and Suhag.

In 2018, Rawat defended the army Major involved in the Kashmir human shield incident, where a Kashmiri man was tied to a jeep as a human shield.[41] The officer was awarded a Chief of the Army Staff Commendation Card by Rawat for counter-insurgency operations.[42][43]

Rawat had been criticized by the opposition party leaders for making political statements during the Citizenship Amendment Act protests.[41]

On his visit to the United States in 2019, General Rawat was inducted to the United States Army Command and General Staff College International Hall of Fame.[44] He was also an honorary General of Nepalese Army in accordance with the tradition between the Indian and Nepali armies to confer the honorary rank of General upon each other's chiefs to signify their close and special military ties.[45]

Rawat served as the 57th Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.[6]

In 2017, at Doklam a 73-day military border standoff happened between the Indian Armed Forces and the People's Liberation Army of China over Chinese construction of a road in Doklam near a trijunction border area between Bhutan, China and India.[46][47] After the standoff ended Rawat said China had begun 'flexing its muscles' and was trying to 'nibble away' territory held by India in a gradual manner to test the limits of thresholds. He stated, India had to be "wary about" China, "and remain prepared for situations that could develop into conflicts".[38]

Rawat said that India did not "see any scope for reconciliation with Pakistan as its military, polity and people have decided that India wants to break their country into pieces". Rawat suspected Pakistan could "swing into action to take advantage of India’s preoccupation with China". Rawat thus highlighted a two-front war situation without offering a solution or remedy.[38]

Until 2019, Rawat had given statements warning India to be prepared for a simultaneous war on two fronts against China and Pakistan. In September 2017, during a seminar in Delhi, Rawat said that "warfare lies within the realm of reality" along India borders with China and Pakistan, even though all the three countries have nuclear arms. According to critics, Rawat neither prepared for such an outcome nor initiated measures to thwart it.[38]

CDS General Bipin Rawat with COAS General Manoj Mukund Naravane, CNS Admiral Karambir Singh and CAS Air Chief Marshal R. K. S. Bhadauria after the ceremonial Guard of Honour, in New Delhi on 1 January 2020

He served as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian Armed Forces from January 2020 until his death in December 2021.[63][64][65]

India as of 2021 had service–specific commands system.[66] joint and integrated commands, also known as unified commands; and further divided into theatre or functional commands, have been set up and more are proposed.[67] In February 2020, Rawat said two to five theatre commands may be set up.[68] The completion of the creation of theatre commands, both integrated and joint commands, will take a number of years.[69] Indian Air Force opposed the formation of unified theatre commands citing limitation of resources.[70]

Rawat put emphasis on the 'supremacy and primacy' of the Indian Army over the Air force and Navy, in fighting wars. Rawat had stated, "Wars will be fought on land, and therefore the primacy of the army must be maintained over the air force and navy. The statement had antagonised the Air Force and Navy.[38]

In early 2021, Rawat called the Indian Air Force a "supporting arm" of India's defence network and infrastructure. Air Chief Marshal R. K. S. Bhadauria made a public statement in response that the IAF served a bigger role than a supporting arm.[41]

On 15 September 2021 while speaking at an event in the capacity of the CDS at the India International Centre in New Delhi, General Rawat touched upon the theory of clash of civilisations with regards to the western civilisation and China's growing relations with countries like Iran and Turkey.[71] The next day, on 16 September 2021, India's Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar conveyed to his Chinese counterpart that India does not subscribe to any clash of civilisations theory.[72]