Bipin Rawat

General Bipin Rawat was the first Chief of Defence Staff of India. He held the post from the 1st of January 2020. He was the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) for three years, starting 1st January 2017. General Rawat was also the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, the last one to hold the rank before the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff post. General Rawat began his career in 1978 in the Indian Army as a Second Lieutenant. That year, he was commissioned into the 5th battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles. In a 43-year-long career, General Rawat rose up the ranks and became the third officer from the Gorkha Brigade to become Chief of Army Staff. General Rawat was from Pauri, Uttarakhand and was married to Madhulika Raje Singh. He had two daughters, Kritika and Tarini. On 8 December 2021, a Mi-17V5 helicopter carrying him, his wife and 12 others crashed near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. All passengers lost their lives except one.