Gen Bipin Rawat to be superannuating on Dec 31

New Delhi, Dec 31 (IANS) Indian Army’s outgoing chief Gen. Bipin Rawat will be superannuating here on Tuesday followed by the ceremonial function, a press note said on Monday.

The Wreath Laying ceremony will be held at 9:15 a.m. at the National War Memorial and the Guard of Honour will be given near Gate No. 2, South Block Lawns at 9:30 a.m..

Earlier in the day, Gen. Rawat was appointed India’s first Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), the principal military adviser to the Defence Minister and head of the new Department of Military Affairs.

"The file for the appointment of India’s first CDS was cleared by Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday morning," said a senior government officer.

General Rawat had served full three-year term as the Indian Army Chief after he superseded two officers in 2016.

He was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles on December 16, 1978.