Global Outlook

The nation's first Chief of Defense Staff, the late General Bipin Rawat, is remembered by the name of the military installation in Arunachal Pradesh called Kibithu (CDS). General Rawat was killed in a helicopter crash in December of last year, along with his wife Madhulika Rawat and 12 other service members. Attended the ceremony to rename the military base were Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, state governor Brig BD Mishra (Retd), notable military and civilian dignitaries, and daughters of the late CDS. At the event, Kibithu Military Camp was renamed General Bipin Rawat Military Garrison, and the governor cut the ribbon on a regal gate built in the traditional manner of the area. From 1999 to 2000, General Rawat was the Colonel in charge of his Battalion 5/11 Gorkha Rifles in Kibithu, a small village on the banks of the Lohit Valley. He significantly aided in strengthening Kibithu's security framework during this time. "A majestic life-size mural ...