A Tragic Loss: On the passing away of General Bipin Rawat

India has lost a capable and experienced military leader The sad demise of the country’s first Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Mango Bipin Rawat in helicopter crash near Coonoor In the Nilgiris on Wednesday. His wife, Madhulika and 11 others were also killed when a Mi-17V5 helicopter of the Indian Air Force fell into a dense forest. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh announced A Tri-Services Inquiry into Parliament, headed by Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Air Force, Training Command, will attend the event. Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal V.R. Choudhary has already visited the accident site; The cockpit voice and flight data recorders have been recovered, which will inform investigators about how the accident happened. It is imperative that the investigation be carried out both thoroughly and expeditiously. Without speculating on the reason, it needs to be emphasized that a quick fix in training or hardware is imperative, as these Mi-17 VF choppers are being used to bring top military leaders to every nook and corner of the country. .

General Rawat had not even completed two years as CDS When the Coonoor tragedy happened. after completing his term Army Chief on 31st December 2019, he slipped into his new role as CDS the very next day. Many of his plans to provide India with true tri-service operational capability are yet to be materialised. In such a situation, the government should not waste time in appointing his successor to ensure that the schemes on the drawing board do not suffer. An aggressive China and still belligerent Pakistan define India’s security challenges. The situation remained tense with Indian and Chinese soldiers staring at each other along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). General Rawat, who was considered close to the ruling establishment, never minced words while speaking about the challenges facing the country and was embroiled in political controversies. although Concept of having CDS Recommended by a group of ministers after the Kargil war in 2000, it took another 20 years for one to be appointed. The CDS, who serves as the Principal Military Adviser to the Defense Minister, is expected to work closely with the three service chiefs who continue to serve in their respective domains – a role and function that still remains. To ensure that the new CDS and the Army Chief function as a team, the government would do well to keep the principle of seniority in mind while selecting Gen Rawat’s successor.