Article Posted on : - Mar 16, 2023

NEW DELHI (PTI): The Indian Navy has announced instituting two awards in the memory of India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat.

The Navy made the announcement on the eve of the late General's 65th birth anniversary on Thursday.

The first trophy would be Gen Bipin Rawat rolling trophy for the 'Women Agniveer Trainee standing first in overall order of merit'.

Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal on Wednesday said the trophy for the current year will be presented by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar during the 'Passing Out Parade' of the first batch of Navy Agniveers on March 28 at the Navy's premier sailors training centre INS Chilka.

The second award would be Gen Bipin Rawat rolling trophy for the 'Most Spirited Officer' undergoing the Naval higher command course at Naval War College (NWC) in Goa, he said.

Gen Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 12 other military personnel were killed in a helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on December 8, 2021.

"On the occasion of his 65th birth anniversary on March 16, the Indian Navy fondly remembers Late Gen Bipin Rawat, the first Chief of Defence Staff of Indian Armed Forces," the Navy said in a statement.

It described Gen Rawat as a "visionary" leader and a "military reformer" and said he was known for his professionalism, principles, conviction and decisiveness. "In a distinguished carrier spanning over four decades, Gen Rawat's achievements were remarkable in all spheres of military and national security affairs," the Navy said.

It said as India's first Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Rawat, rallied for organisational and structural reforms to integrate the armed forces.

"Path-breaking transformational initiatives and civil-military synergy will remain his legacy. General Rawat's enthusiasm led the Armed Forces to turn Agnipath – the biggest HR transformation by the armed forces since Independence, from an idea to reality," the Navy said in a statement.