US Ambassador Congratulates General Bipin Rawat On Being Appointed As India’s First Chief of Defence Staff

The United States (US) Ambassador Kenneth Juster on Monday (30 December) congratulated General Bipin Rawat on being appointed the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India, reports Asian News International (ANI).

Juster said that he was looking forward to more productive discussions on the ways to advance the growing defence partnership between India and the US.

“Hearty congratulations to General Bipin Rawat on being named India’s first Chief of Defence Staff. Looking forward to more productive discussions on ways to advance the #USIndiaDefense partnership,” Juster tweeted.

General Rawat, who is retiring as Army Chief today (31 December), will now serve as the topmost officer of the military. He will be the main point of contact for the government for dealing with the issues of the defence forces of the country.

The announcement of the creation of the CDS post was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech. Following the announcement, a committee headed by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval was formed, which submitted a report on the role and responsibilities of the CDS.