The current CDS worked closely with Gen Rawat as Director General of Military Operations and then as Commander of the Eastern Army

Photo Credit : @dprohyd/twitter,

In honour of the country's first Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan is visiting the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington on Tuesday, where he will deliver the lecture that his predecessor was supposed to give but was unable to due to a helicopter crash.

Gen Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 12 other military personnel were killed in a helicopter crash on 8 December 2021, while en route to Wellington to deliver a speech.

“Gen Anil Chauhan is visiting the Defence Staff College in Wellington today to deliver a speech in memory of late Gen Rawat,” defence officials said.

The current CDS worked closely with Gen Rawat as Director General of Military Operations and then as Commander of the Eastern Army.

In October of this year, Gen Chauhan was chosen to succeed Gen Rawat as Chief of Defence Staff.

Gen Chauhan will also accompany the families of all the soldiers whose family members died in the chopper crash on 8 December last year, to the National War Memorial.

The Indian Navy has also announced that the trophies for the best Agniveer trainee will be named after the late CDS.

On 8 December, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Gen Chauhan will launch a book about Gen Bipin Rawat.

On 10 December, the Indian Army will also hold a memorial lecture for the late CDS.

After taking off from Sulur in Tamil Nadu, Gen Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat were killed when their helicopter crashed into a hill amid heavy cloud cover.