Amid the sudden demise of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat in a military helicopter crash, the government is mulling over the appointment of a new CDS in the coming days.
The Chief of Defence Staff post will be filled in next seven to ten days, top sources have said. As per the rules, any Commanding officers or flag officers of the armed forces are eligible for the position.
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General Rawat had taken over the charge as the first CDS of the country in January 2020. Normally, the upper age limit for the CDS has been fixed at 65 years. PM Modi, in his Independence Day address in 2019, had announced the appointment of a CDS who will be above the three Chiefs.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday will make a statement in Lok Sabha at around 11:15 am and in Rajya Sabha around 12 pm. General Rawat’s mortal remains will be brought from Tamil Nadu to New Delhi on Thursday. The cremation will take place in New Delhi tomorrow.
The prime minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was briefed today about the crash that led General Bipin Rawat’s death in Tamil Nadu. Besides PM Modi, the meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, official sources said.
In a series of tweets, Prime Minsiter Modi offered his condolences and said he is deeply anguished by the helicopter crash. “Gen Bipin Rawat was an outstanding soldier. A true patriot, he greatly contributed to modernising our armed forces and security apparatus. His insights and perspectives on strategic matters were exceptional. His passing away has saddened me deeply. Om Shanti,” he said in one of the tweets.
The CDS was on his way to the Defence Staff College in Wellington when the helicopter crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu. The Indian Air Force (IAF) said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the accident.
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