India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, who died in a helicopter crash in December last year, will be posthumously conferred Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian award.
The Home Ministry announced the Padma Awards on the eve of 73rd Republic Day. General Rawat was headed to Defence Services Staff College in Wellington to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course when his chopper crashed in Tamil Nadu.
He was India’s, longest-serving four-star General.
General Rawat’s wife Madhulika Rawat and twelve other defence force personnel had also died in the helicopter crash