Air Commodore Idandas Werhomal Sabhaney was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in 1943. He has held various important staff and command appointments with distinction. He attended Signals Officers Radar Course in the U.K. in 1949 and also the National Defence College Course in 1966-67. He has been the Senior Technical Staff Officer at a Command Headquarters since April 1968. He has evolved and introduced a form of production planning and control suited to Air Force conditions. This technique has brought about considerable improvement in the output of the Base Repair Depots.

Group Captain Jemi Hormusji Framji Manekshaw was commissioned in the Army Medical Corps in February 1943 and was seconded to the Indian Air Force in July the same year. He saw active service during World War II. He attended the Advance Aviation Medicine Course in the USA in 1948-49. He has held with distinction various medical assignments at operational units, wings and stations. He was the Senior Medical Officer of an Operational Group of the Indian Air Force. In this appointment, he organised the air transportation of sick and wounded during the 1947-48 operations in Jammu and Kashmir. As Deputy Air Adviser (Medicine) in the High Commission of India in the UK from 1961 to 1964, he contributed a great deal towards resolving Aero Medical problems which were being encountered for the first time in the Indian Air Force due to induction of high performance aircraft in the service. He has been commanding the Institute of Aviation Medicine for the past three years. In this capacity, he has been instrumental in introducing modern research and evaluation techniques which are of significant value towards advancement of the Science of Aviation Medicine in the Indian Air Force. He is Senior Advisor in Aviation Medicine in the Indian Air Force, and is also Adviser to Bangalore University on matters pertaining to Aviation Medicine.

Group Captain (now Air Commodore) Dilbagh Singh was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in September 1944. He attended Day Fighter's Leader's Course and RAF Staff College Course in the U.K. He has commanded operational units with distinction and has also held important staff and training appointments. While commanding an operational Flying Station from 1966 to 1969, he displayed outstanding qualities of leadership and also administrative and organising ability. Again, recently while holding an Air Staff appointment at an Operational Command Headquarters he successfully planned and conducted operational exercises. His unremitting efforts, initiative and zeal have contributed greatly towards achieving a high state of training and combat effectiveness of a Fighter Squadrons in the Command.

Group Captain Douglas George King­Lee was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in November 1944. He saw active service during World War II. He attended the All Purpose Flying Instructors' Course in the U.K. in 1947. He also attended Defence Services Staff College Course in 1965, Senior Officers Study Course at Joint Air Warfare School and Senior Officers Aviation Medicine Course in 1968. He has served with distinction in a number of operational and training units and has held important staff appointments at Air Headquarters and at Headquarters Training Command. In 1963, while commanding an operational Wing, he did creditable work. In November 1968, he took over the command of a Base Repair Depot. In this assignment, despite many difficulties, he has been able to increase the production of aircrafts.

Group Captain (now Air Commodore) Dina Nath Maniktala was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in 1942. He saw active service during World War II. He attended the Defence Services Staff College Course in 1954-55. He has held various important staff and command appointments. He has commanded certain Air Force Hospitals and has been the President of the Air Force Central Medical Establishment and the Principal Medical Officer at the Headquarters of all the Air Force Commands at different times. He has also served in the Directorate of Technical Development and Production (Air). He AVSM 1971-72 has re­vitalised the medical organisation of the Command in which he is now serving as Principal Medical Officer. One of his significant attainments is the practical application of his knowledge of Aviation Medicine to the care of aircrew.

Group Captain Ramesh Chander Jain was commissioned in the Aeronautical Engineering (Signals) Branch of the Indian Air Force in December, 1948. He took over command of a Signals Unit in November 1969. Certain special tasks in specialized and sophisticated electronics field were entrusted to his unit. Not only did he develop sophisticated electronic equipment, which were urgently required, he undertook and successfully completed production of sufficient quantity of these items within a very short period even though the resources of the unit in equipment, spears and personnel were extremely limited. He guided his unit urgent operational requirements. His efforts built up and established a sophisticated electronic field which helped the Air Force in the recent operations against Pakistan. Group Captain Ramesh Chander Jain thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Group Captain Reginald John Manual Upot was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in July 1949. He attended the Flying Instructors Course in 1950-51, Method of Instruction Course in 1951, Defence Service Staff College Course in 1962-63 and Senior Officers Study Course in 1970. After serving with a number of Squadrons, he became a flying instructor and worked in that capacity for a number of years. He holds the highest Flying Instructor's Category and also the highest instrument rating. He has been responsible for the completion of summer trials of a new type of aircraft.

Group Captain Chandra Kant Vishwanath Gole was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in September 1949. He has held several staff and command appointments with distinction. He attended the Elementary Flying Training School Course in 1948, the Conversion Training Course in 1949, Basic Fighter Controller Course in 1952, Junior Commander Course in 1953, Armament Training Course at Armament Training Wing in 1955, the 17th Course at Empire Test Pilots School, U.K. in 1958 and Defence Services' Staff College Course in 1962-63. He has done significant work in a Fighter Squadron of the Indian Air Force and the Aircraft and Armament Testing Unit. Since May 1969, he has been in command of a flying station and has rendered creditable service.

Wing Commander Ramesh Sakhram Benegal was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in January 1952. He attended the All Purposes Flying Instructors Course at Flying Instructors School in 1953-54, the 124 Canberra Course in the U.K. in 1957-58 and the Instrument Pilots Instructors Course in the USA in 1965. After serving in operational Squadrons, he was trained as a flying instructor and was employed on instructional duties for several years. He has held with distinction many important appointments, including those of flight commander in an operational Squadron and in the Aircrew Examining Board. He was Mentioned­in­Despatches for his performance during the India­Pakistan conflict, 1965. On successful completion of is tenure as Officer-in-Charge of flying at an Air Force base, he took over command of an operational Squadron in 1968. In this appointment, he has displayed a high degree of professional skill and has undertaken a large number of flights over difficult mountainous terrain in adverse weather conditions both by day and by night.

Wing Commander Gandharva Sen was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in January 1953. He attended the Pilots Conversion Course in 1953 and Flying Instructors Course in 1958. In 1967, he was appointed to command an operational Squadron. His squadron has been re­equipped with a new type of aircraft. He has rendered valuable service towards the training of the air and ground crew of the Squadron. He has successfully developed new standard operating procedures and operational tactics for the aircraft. He has also made valuable suggestions to improve the operational capability and flight safety of the aircraft.

Wing Commander Krishan Kumar Badhwar was commissioned in the Flying Branch of the Indian Air Force in January, 1954. Initially, he served in fighter and fighter bomber squadrons, and then, after successfully completing a course at the Flying Instructors School, he served as a flying instructor at the erstwhile Air Force Flying College. In 1964, he converted on to jet bombers, and thereafter served in a Canberra bomber squadron. He also served in a ground appointment at a major bomber base. At present, he is the Commander of a Canberra bomber squadron. He reorganised the work of the ground staff so that they could give effective support to the flying crew. Simultaneously, he implemented a rigorous training schedule for his aircrew, for bringing them to the highest peak of efficiency. During the recent operations against Pakistan the bombers of his squadron carried out devastating raids against the enemy's war potential. He took part in every one of the operational missions entrusted to his squadron. Throughout, Wing Commander Krishan Kumar Badhwar rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Group Captain Madhusudan Sripad Tatke was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in January 1950. He attended the Technical and Administration Course in 1951, the Draft Engine Course in U.K. in 1955 and the Specialist Course at the College of Aeronautics, U.K. in 1958. He has held many important appointments with distinction, including those of Senior Resident Technical Officer (Aircraft) at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Bangalore, and Deputy Director of Technical Services at Air Headquarters. During his tenure as Senior Maintenance Staff Officer of an Operational Command, he successfully solved a number of technical problems. He has been responsible to a large extent for introducing methods and systems which have improved the serviceability state of the Squadron aircraft within the Command.