General Bipin Rawat To Take Oath as Chief of Defence Staff on January 1, Receives Farewell Guard of Honour as Army Chief

New Delhi, December 31: India’s first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Tuesday received his farewell Guard of Honour as the Army Chief at Delhi's South Block. He was to retire today as Army Chief after completing his three-year stint in the top post. General Rawat will take oath as India's first Chief of Defence Staff on January 1, 2020, news agency ANI reported. General Bipin Rawat Appointed First CDS: Position Will Help Catalyse US-India Joint Cooperation Between Militaries, Says US State Department.

"Today as I demit the office of Chief of Army staff, I wish to convey my gratitude to the soldiers, rank and file of Indian Army who has stood steadfast under challenging circumstances," General Rawat said after he paid tribute at National War Memorial. General Bipin Rawat Appointed First-Ever Chief of Defence Staff, To Oversee All Three Wings of Armed Forces.

ANI Tweet:

Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane will take charge as the 28th Chief of Army Staff later today. "I am confident that the army will continue to rise to greater heights," the first Chief of Defence Staff told media.

The Union Cabinet has approved the appointment of General Bipin Rawat as CDS. The oath-taking ceremony will take place on January 1. The CDS Position will be a single-point military adviser to the government as suggested by the Kargil Review Committee in 1999.

On Sunday, the government amended the Army Rules, 1954, and changed maximum age limit of 65 years for the Chief of Defence Staff to serve in the position. General Rawat will be able to serve as CDS for a period of up to three years.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2019 10:28 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).