Chair of Excellence: Indian Army on 15 March 2022 instituted a Chair of Excellence in the memory of late Gen Bipin Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) at the United Service Institution (USI) of India on the eve of his 65th birthday.

Key Highlights:

• The formal announcement was made by Gen. Manoj Naravane, Chief of Army Staff and Officiating Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, at a ceremony organized at South Block.
• He was killed in a helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on December 8 along with his wife Madhulika and 12 armed forces personnel.
• The main aim of the proposed 'General Bipin Rawat memorial Chair of Excellence' will be to conduct research on strategic issues of significance pertaining to the armed forces.
• The Chair will focus on the field of jointness and integration among the armed forces.
• The Chair will be open to veterans of the three Services and civilians having expertise in the field of national security and military affairs.
• Naravane also handed over a cheque for ₹5 lakh to Maj. Gen. B.K. Sharma (retd), Director, USI, which will be paid as honorarium to the nominated Chair of Excellence.

About General Bipin Rawat:

• In a tragic turn of events that followed on December 8, 2021, India lost one of its gems, General Bipin Rawat, in a helicopter crash.
• General was on his way to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (Nilgiri Hills) to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course.
• Late General Bipin Rawat who served as India's first CDS as well as the 27th Chief of Indian Army was an outstanding professional and was in the midst of steering one of the most radical transformations of the Indian military.
• He took charge as the first CDS on January 1, 2020, with a mandate to bring in convergence in the functioning of the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force and bolster the country's overall military prowess.
• One of the CDS's primary responsibilities was to assist in the restructuring of military commands in order to maximise resource use by promoting jointness in operations, notably through the development of theatre commands.
• As the CDS, General Rawat carried out the extensive groundwork to roll out tri-services reforms.

About United Service Institution of India (USI):

• United Service Institution of India (USI) is a national security and defence services think tank.
• It is based in New Delhi.
• It was founded in 1870 by a soldier scholar, Colonel (later Major General) Sir Charles MacGregor.