General Bipin Chandra Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, ADC (1935 – November 19, 1994) was the 17th Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) of the Indian Army. He was born in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Many of his relatives still live there.
Career
- Commissioned in December 1954 into the 64 Cavalry Regiment, Indian Army Armoured Corps.[citation needed]
- Commanded an armored regiment in the Western Sector during the 1971 Indo-Pak operations. He also commanded an Independent Armored Brigade and an Infantry Division.
- Military Advisor in Australia from May 1973 to October 1976
- Staff officer in the UN Force in Gaza
- Brigadier General Staff in a Corps Headquarters
- Commanded a Corps in the Eastern Sector
- General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command.
- Additional Director General of Perspective Planning (ADG PP) & Director General Military Operations (DGMO) at the Army Headquarters
- Three tenures as an instructor in the Armoured Corps Centre and School, Ahmednagar
- Directed Staff in the College of Combat, Mhow
- Established the Army Institute of Technology in Pune (Engineering College), Maharashtra in August 1994 for the wards of defence personals, either in service or retired.
General Joshi also became Colonel of the Regiment (a ceremonial military patron’s post) for the 64 Cavalry later in his career.
Medals
General Joshi has been a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) for distinguished service of the most exceptional order.
Death
General Joshi died of heart attack in New Delhi military hospital on November 19, 1994 He was due to retire in 1995. He is the only General of Indian military who died while in service. It is said that he died under mysterious circumstances as Army officers do not die of Heart Attack. He was very popular among the soldier class of Indian Army. He had pragmatic views about the role of Army. It is also said that he opposed Mulayam Singh Yadav’s instruction to open fire on civilian protest in Uttranchal for political gains.
In His Memory
The Gen B.C.Joshi Army Public School was established.
A sapling which was sown by Gen BC Joshi on 16th Oct 1993, is now a sprawling campus of 23 acres with pollution free healthy environment. It has turned into a healthy plant and is growing well in the beautiful valley of the Pithoragarh hills. General BC Joshi Army Public School has been established under the aegis of Army Head Quarters, Adjutant General’s Branch, to cater to the needs of children of defence personnel including ex-service men, and to some extent to those of civilians and Non-Resident Indians. The School aims at providing quality education in an environment that ensembles the contemporary values of science and technology with our rich traditions, ideals and cultural heritage. It also ensures a judicious mix of academic competencies, physical fitness, discipline and social awareness. It prepares children for All India Secondary School Examinations and All India Senior Secondary School Examinations conducted by CBSE, New Delhi
