The three service chiefs of the Indian Armed forces – General Manoj Pande, Admiral R Hari Kumar and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari – paid homage at the iconic ‘Hut of Remembrance’ of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla in Pune in the memory of Late General Bipin Rawat on his death anniversary Thursday. The ceremony was conducted at the same time the Indian Armed Forces lost their first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) last year.
Gen Bipin Rawat was an alumnus of Charlie Squadron of the 53rd NDA course. The officer served the nation as the 27th Chief of the Army Staff and, subsequently, as the first CDS, prior to his demise in a helicopter crash.
Gen Rawat along with his wife Madhulika and 12 armed forces personnel was killed in the crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on December 8 last year.
“Gen Bipin Rawat was an outstanding soldier and a true patriot who greatly contributed to modernising our armed forces and security apparatus. As India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, the General Officer worked on diverse aspects relating to our armed forces, most notably defence reforms. His insight and perspectives on strategic matters were exceptional. The nation will never forget his yeoman service toward festering an enduring culture of jointmanship and integration in the armed forces,” said a press statement issued through the Pune Defence PRO.
The Hut of Remembrance at the NDA is a cenotaph that commemorates the sacrifice of NDA alumni Armed forces officers who have laid down their lives in the line of duty.