Got to Know I Was CDS From TV News, Rajnath Singh’s Call Confirmed it, Says Gen Bipin Rawat

New Delhi: December 31 was the day CDS Bipin Rawat was to retire as India's Army Chief last year. While speculation was rife that the Narendra Modi government had chosen him as India's first Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), the announcement was delayed till the last moment. He barely had hours to retire.

In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18, Rawat said he first found out he had been picked as the Chief of Defense Staff from the news ticker of TV channels. Then Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called and the news was confirmed.

Rawat said while there was speculation around his name, he wasn't sure if the government would be ready to announce a name before the implementation committee finalised the mandate of the CDS. A process that could take six months.

"I was ready to retire. I had booked my ticket for the US in October itself to go meet my sister and spend Feburary and March with her. I have lost money on that. Now my sister is coming to meet me."

Rawat's appointment as the Army Chief was also fairly controversial. The government discarded the principal of seniority, superceding two Lt Generals senior to him and named Rawat as India's Chief of Army Staff.

"My ambition was to command my paltan. That done, I was ready to retire. But God has been kind. Main imaandari se kaam karta raha aur gaadi chalti rahi."

Rawat told CNN-News18 that he has proposed an extension in the retirement age of jawans of the Indian Army till 58. While Army officers retire at 58, jawans are sent home in their late 30s.

“Today, the officer retires at 58 and then looks forward to four years of reemployment. But he wants his soldier to go at 37,” he said.

Rawat said Army jawans, who are recruited early on, serves for 20 years and then receives pension for 30-35 years of his life. “What is happening today is that a jawan serves for 20 years and from the age of 40 he draws a pension till he is 70. So, he is serving for 20 years and receiving pension for 30 to 35 years,” said Rawat. “I’m not saying that you don’t look after the jawan. You must look after him but you have to look after the combatant more than the others.”

“When a jawan retires and his pension drops to half his income, he loses the free accommodation and ration, he loses the facility of school (for his children) that is next to his unit…where does that jawan stand?” Rawat asked. “He also needs to be looked after. Officers are talking about themselves. Please think about your men too.”