Cremation of chief of defence staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat would be done on Friday (December 10).
Cremation of CDS General Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat would be done at the Delhi Cantonment on Friday (December 10).
Mortal remains of General Rawat and his wife are expected to arrive in New Delhi in a military plane by Thursday evening.
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The bodies would be brought to his house on Friday.
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People would be allowed to pay last respect from 11 am to 2 pm on Friday.
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It would be followed by a funeral procession, which will start from Kamraj Marg to Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment.
General Bipin Rawat and 12 others, including his wife, died in a helicopter crash at Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday afternoon.
13 out of the total 14 people who were onboard the ill-fated helicopter have died in the crash.
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The only survivor, Group Captain Varun Singh, who has sustained major injuries is undergoing treatment at the Military Hospital in Wellington, Tamil Nadu.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has informed that it has ordered an investigation into the accident.
Meanwhile, defence minister Rajnath Singh will make a statement on the helicopter crash in both the Houses of Parliament on Thursday.
The Russian-made Mi-17V5 military helicopter of the IAF had taken off from the army base in Sulur, and was heading for Wellington, less than 100km away, where Gen Rawat was due to visit the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC).
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63-year-old General Bipin Rawat, a four-star General of the Indian Army, was appointed as the country’s first-ever chief of defence staff (CDS) in January 2019.
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.
Born on March 16, 1958 in Uttarakhand General Rawat had the reputation of being a tough soldier and an inspiring commander.
Rawat was born at Pauri in Uttarakhand into a Hindu Garhwali Rajput family.
His family had been serving in the Indian Army for multiple generations.
Rawat’s father Laxman Singh Rawat was from Sainj village of the Pauri Garhwal district and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General.
Bipin Rawat attended Cambrian Hall School in Dehradun and the St Edward’s School in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
He then joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Indian Military Academy (IMA), where he was awarded the “Sword of Honour”.
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Rawat was 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.
From his tenure at the DSSC, he has a MPhil degree in Defence Studies.
Rawat was commissioned into the 5th battalion of 11 Gorkha Rifles on 16 December 1978, the same unit as his father.
He had much experience in high-altitude warfare and spent ten years conducting counter-insurgency operations.
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As a Colonel, he had commanded the 5th battalion of 11 Gorkha Rifles, in the Eastern sector along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh.
In 2019, General Rawat was inducted to the United States Army Command and General Staff College International Hall of Fame.
He is also the honorary General of Nepalese Army.
During his career of nearly 43 years, he was 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, the COAS Commendation on two occasions and the Army Commander’s Commendation.
In Photos:
Four Indian Air Force personnel who lost their lives in the chopper crash include Wing Commander PS Chauhan, Squadron Leader K Singh, JWO Rana Pratap Das and JWO Pradeep A.
A total of 13 out of the 14 people who were onboard the ill-fated helicopter died in the crash.