Air Commodore Lakshman Madhav Katre, AVSM (3117) Flying (Pilot) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in 1945. He has commanded many operational squadrons with distinction during his service career and has also held important staff and training appointments both abroad and in India.

While commanding an operational flying station during the period 1966-68, he displayed outstanding qualities of leadership and manmanagement. By sheer drive and determination he was able to bring his station to operational readiness in a very short time. Through initiative, he developed effective “hide-outs" by local improvisations for his station aircraft. This ingenuity stood the test of stimulated air actions so well that the system was soon adopted by all other operational stations in the area as a regular feature. During the unprecedented floods In North Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan area in October, 1968, Air Commodore Katre was appointed the local commander for Air Force Flood Relief Work. In directing the relief operations, particularly in Bhutan and Goalpara areas, he earned the gratitude of hundreds of refugees, thus setting a high standard for others to emulate. In 1970, for his services he was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.

Air Commodore Katre has been in-charge of the Air Force Academy as Commandant from 16th November, 1972. At this stage the major portion of the construction work in the Academy was yet to be completed. Air Commodore Katre, through his stimulated and invigorating direction, penchant for thoroughness and Imaginative planning, proceeded, with the task of not, only continuing with the remaining construction programme for Air Force Academy, but re-organising the entire function of the Academy on a highly rational basis. Inspired by his personal example and undiluted devotion to the task of establishing the Air Force Academy as an institution worthy its name, his officers and men voluntarily and cheerfully worked beyond the call of duty to assist in meeting the challenge. It is due to Air Commodore Katre's single minded efforts that the Academy has emerged as an institution not only of national but of international repute.

During the tenure of Air Commodore Katre as Commandant, the flying training programme was required to undergo radical change, with the withdrawal of the old aircraft and Introduction of jet trainer as a all through training aircraft. But for Air Commodore Katre's thorough planning and deep knowledge of training problems, the new training system may not have made such a successful beginning as it has made. With the introduction of new training pattern for pilots there was also requirement for formulation of new syllabus and adoption procedures and systems particularly in training methodology. On his insistence, innovations were introduced in the training pattern which has become an example for other units to follow. In October, 1975, the Air Force Academy was awarded the President's colour for meritorious service.

Air Commodore Lakshman Madhav Katre by his high organisational and managerial ability, outstanding qualities of leadership, un swerving devotion to duty and personal example has rendered service of the exceptional order.

Air Commodore Rajinder Nath Bakshi was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in February, 1943. As early 1945, he was mentioned in dispatches for his valuable service to the Air Force. In his long career, he has held key staff appointments as Command Organisation and Works Officer and as Senior Personnel Staff Officer with distinction at Headquarters Maintenance and Eastern Air Commands during their formative stages. As Command Organisation and Works officer at Headquarters Maintenance Command, he was largely responsible for the planning and execution of major works services at the various units and stations under the command. He made similar notable contribution, subsequently, as command Organization and works Officer, to the Stations under Headquarters Eastern Air Command. He was appointed bear his qualities of exceptional zeal, drive and devotion to duty, and succeeded in inculcating a new spirit in the functioning of the Provost Organisation in the Air Force. He has personally conducted various enquiries on very complicated and delicate problems with integrity, tack and high sense of duty and brought them to successful conclusion in a most commendable and exemplary manner.

Throughout, Air Commodore Rajinder Nath Bakshi has rendered distinguished services of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Balwant Wickram Chauhan (3352) Flying (Pilot) was commissioned In the Air Force in 1946. He was graded above the Average as a pilot on completion of his flying training and started his flying career, on Transport Aircraft. He has so far flown 25 different types of aircraft including jets.

Air Commodore Chauhan spent the early years of his flying career in Air Headquarters Communication Squadron where he was engaged in flying VVIPs within and outside India. He holds the distinction of being the first Indian Air Force Officer to obtain A-1 category on transport aircraft. He is also the only officer of the Indian Air Force who has served with the Queen's Flight of the Royal Air Force. He was the leader of Team for Supply Dropping Trials from AVRO 748 aircraft in J&K and Ladakh. Air Commodore Chauhan is also a Qualified Flying Instructor having finished the course at the Central Flying School of the Royal Air Force. He holds an A2 Category and has over 2000 hours of instructional flying to his credit. He has taught pupils on such different types of aircraft as the Tiger Moth, Harvard, AN ­12, etc.

Air Commodore Chauhan has held various other Command and staff appointments with credit. As a member of the Aircrew Examining Board in the early days after its formation, he applied his professional skill and knowledge of aircraft in evolving sound testing procedures for aircrew, thereby ensuring the highest standards of flying amongst the flying crew of the Indian Air Force.

He has also served with distinction at an important establishment where in addition to his normal duties involving supervision of operations, technical, equipment and administrative departments of his organisation, Air Commodore Chauhan undertook a number of difficult and risky operations, particularly in the 1971 operations against Pakistan when he flew 34 hours on special operational missions. At present, he is holding the important appointment of Director of Intelligence at Air Headquarters.

Over this prolonged period of time as a pilot and as a Staff Officer, Air Commodore Chauhan has established1 himself as a leader of men, an organiser and an administrator of a very high ability. He has always worked with a spirit of dedication and exemplary devotion to duty. Air Commodore Balwant Wickram Chauhan has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Vettakkorumakankav Sivarama Narayanan, VSM (3549) Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) was commissioned in the Engineering­Branch of the Air Force on 27th December, 1948. From April, 1968 to January, 1971 as Joint Director of Missiles in the Air Headquarters, Air Commodore Narayanan initiated and supervised a number of development programmes in rocketry and missiles with a view to self-reliance. One of these projects, the Rocket Assisted Take Off Motor has tremendous potential in increasing the operational efficiency and payload of the fighter bomber and interceptor aircraft. He also prepared the ground for the indigenisaion of the large scale Missile system with a view to self-sufficiency and build­up of competence in Missiles in India.

From February, 1972 onwards, as Director, Defence Research and Development Laboratory and Project Officer of one of the largest Research and Development Projects in India for the development of medium range Surface­to­Air Missile, he built up the Defence Research and Development Laboratory virtually from scratch into an outstanding and premier institution in the Research and Development, and competence in Rockets and Missiles. The Laboratory has now a comprehensive and wide ranging infrastructure of fabrication facilities, test facilities, rocket test beds, test range equipment and a very, advanced competence level in Solid and Liquid Propulsion technology and Inertia Systems technology. He has harnessed and cocoordinated the various sister Research and Development Laboratories, and manufacturing agencies towards Missile Development and Production. He has built up in Defence Research and Development Laboratories the competence to manage large missile projects. He has above all, built up, encouraged and AVSM 1976 developed an outstanding team of motivated young scientists in the various areas of Missile Technology. He has, thus, founded, a solid and creative base for self­reliance in Missiles in our country. He is today one of the top Missile Technologists in India.

Air Commodore Narayanan has, thus, shown brilliant and outstanding qualities of leadership, organisation, technical competence and application, management, dedication and determination, and rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Jagdish Raj Bhasin, VM (3591) Flying (Pilot) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in July, 1949. During his long service career he has held a variety of Command and Staff appointments. In the varied posts held by him, he has distinguished himself not only by professional competence but also by outstanding administrative ability.

Early in his career, he qualified as an all purpose Flying Instructor and was employed on instructional duties from December, 1950 to September, 1955. His instructional experience extends from elementary flying training to supersonic aircraft. As an Instructor, he attained the highest possible professional standard and holds 'A' Flying Instructors' category. As Officer Commanding of a fighter Squadron from September, 1957 to May, 1961, he accomplished high rate of aircraft serviceability, enhanced operational preparedness and all round efficiency of his Squadron. Subsequently, as Officer Commanding another Squadron from April, 1966 to 1967 he was able to achieve the highest operational standards. For his painstaking efforts and high professionalism, Air Commodore Bhasin was awarded Vayu Sena Medal.

Air Instructors Bhasin took over as Air Officer Commanding of a big operational base in January, 1975. Within a very short time, he was able to integrate his Command of multi-Squadron force into an efficient team. His station had the lowest aircraft accident rate in his Command In 1975 while maintaining a high rate of serviceability and utilisation of aircraft.

In addition to heavy air maintenance tasks, his base was called upon to undertake relief operations after the devastating earthquake in Himachal Pradesh in January/February, 1975. The Helicopters of the Wing carried out 161 missions, and airl ifted 70 tonnes of essential supplies in the face of heavy odds and most inclement and unfavourable AVSM 1976 weather. Later, In August, 1975, the transport aircraft of his Wing were deployed for airlifting essential stores for flood, relief work. Round the clock operation was undertaken and more than 230 tonnes of supplies and equipments were airlifted. These additional tasks were undertaken without detriment to the other assigned tasks. The air effort in both these relief operations has won high acclaim and enhanced the prestige of the Air Force. This was possible because of the excellent planning and leadership displayed by Air Commodore Bhasin.

Air Commodore Jagdish Raj Bhasin, VM has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Achuthan Viswanathan (3607) Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in 1949. During his long service career, he has held with distinction various important appointments. He has been Officer Commanding of an Equipment Depot, Deputy Director of Armament Research & Development Establishment and Director of Armament at Air Headquarters.

As Director of Armament, he has achieved most commendable results in indigenisation of imported Explosives Stores and also in adaptation of Armament Stores to different types of aircraft. This, besides achieving standardisation, has resulted in increasing operational potential. He has persistently striven to get maximum shelf life out of explosive stores currently held in the inventory by planning and executing various reconditioning schemes. By his constant endeavour for indigenisation of imported stores and to obtain maximum life out of the existing stores, he has not only effected considerable savings in expenditure but also reduced foreign dependence.

Air Commodore Viswanathan was posted as Senior Maintenance Staff Officer at Headquarters Eastern Air Command in September, 1974. From the time of his arrival and consistently thereafter, he applied himself with exemplary zeal and has shouldered the responsibility with a high degree of confidence. With his initiative and ability to organize, and with his high technical ability he contributed substantially towards improving the aircraft serviceability and operational potential. During this period, a number of aircraft which had been grounded for over two years have been recovered and made air­worthy. He was never deterred in his objective by short-fall of resources available to him.

With his exceptional professional ability, hard work, organizational skill, and leadership, Air Commodore Achuthan Viswanathan has rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Denis Anthony Lafontaine, VM (3844) Flying (Pilot) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force on 15th April, 1950. During his service career, he has held a variety of Command, and Staff appointments. In the various posts that he has held, he has been extremely meticulous, where standards of flying training and operational preparedness are concerned.

He has commanded two fighter Squadrons and an operational Station. During these tenures, he had always been result­oriented and achieved a very high degree of operational preparedness.

He was posted as Chief Instructor at Air Force Academy on its inauguration in December, 1970 to October, 1973. He was personally responsible for the move of entire Flying School from Jodhpur to the Academy. The move was meticulously planned, methodically executed and the new training organisation was set up with speed and purpose. Air Commodore Lafontaine, as the Chief Instructor, reorientated the complete training patterns in the Air Force. He designed major training directives of the Academy which for the first time in the Air Force fixed the principles, standards and techniques for teaching in the air and on the ground. These directives also included, for the first time, a clear guide line to the attitude and behaviour principles required.

He was posted to Headquarters Western Air Command In January, 1975 as Air I. In this capacity, he has established practices which have substantially contributed towards greater operational preparedness of the command. With his vast operational and training experience, he has been able to give a new dimension to the employment and utilisation of fighter force in his Command. It has been due to his stewardship that the operational training and utilisation rate of all the fighter Squadrons in the Command has been planned methodically to achieve the best results.

Air Commodore Lafontaine is a thorough, professionally competent and conscious officer whose devotion to duty is unquestionable. He has always set a worthy example for others to emulate in dedication, servicemindedness, zeal and initiative. Throughout, Air Commodore Danis Anthony Lafontaine, VM has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Group Captain Kanumilli Suryanarayana Rao (3371) Medical was commissioned in the Medical Branch of the Indian Air Force on 19th February, 1945. After serving for five years as Professor of Physiology at Armed Forces Medical College Pune, he was posted to the Institute of Aviation Medicine in November, 1970, as Officer in-charge High Altitude Physiology and President Medical Evaluation Centre. Subsequently, in March, 1973, he took over as Officer Commanding, Institute of Aviation Medicine. Simultaneously, he was appointed as Senior Adviser in Aviation Medicine, Air Force, and also Professor in Aviation Medicine, Bangalore University.

He has been associated with Aviation Medicine for a long period and has taken active part in several research projects which have contributed to flying efficiency of aircrew and flight safety. He has flown 2200 passenger flying hours to gain flying experience and to carry out medical evaluation, research and experimental studies. He has also contributed several articles to various medical journals and in particular to the Journal of the Aero Medical Society of India, which could serve as a guide to junior Medical Officers in Aviation Medicine such as 'Aircrew Care and Flight Safety'.

He is one of the outstanding teachers of the Institute of Aviation Medicine at postgraduate level and has participated in several symposia and topics of Aviation Medicine and chaired some symposia in which eminent foreign scientists participated. In addition, he has been the Editor­in­chief of the Journal of Aero Medical Society of India for the last five years and has brought it to a very high standard. This Journal has now worldwide circulation.

Group Captain Kanumilli Suryanarayana Rao has rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order by his multifarious and numerous contributions in. the field of medical profession in general and Aviation Medicine in particular.

Group Captain Ajit Kumar Banerji (3912) Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) was commissioned in the Engineering Branch of the Indian Air Force on 15th July, 1950.

After completing a long and highly successful tenure as directing staff in the Institute of Defence Management, in February, 1974 he was posted to Air Force Technical College to fill the post of Chief Instructor. Because of his exceptional sense of duty and personal involvement within a short period of time, he had a firm grip on all the teaching departments, along with their associated problems. He was thus able to lay the foundation for ushering in the new training concepts and systems, at this College. On 6th January, 1975, he was posted as Officer in-charge Faculty of Management Studies and Advanced Technology, Air Force Station, Jalahalli. He set about his task with determination and vigour and his performance as an instructor has been of the highest order.

In addition to teaching three different subjects for the Senior Technical Officers' Management Course, he continually applied himself to improve the mode of training on this course. He introduced to important changes i.e., the introduction of the 'Inter­establishment Comparison' as a modification of the older in­plant visit discussions, and the 'In­basket exercises.' The latter particularly involved heavy work for preparation of the settings for the exercises. He has progressively introduced many other changes also which have enhanced the value of the course considerably.

He has taken a keen and personal interest in the managerial project studies of the courses and as a result motivated the participants to give off their best and produce excellent project study reports. In addition, he has always been a most valuable adviser to the Air Officer Commanding Jalahalli, in all matters of administration and in particular training management.

Earlier, as a Directing Staff at the Institute of Defence Management, Secunderabad, he helped in the build up of that institution from scratch. He had the distinction of being a member of the first managerial Consultancy undertaken by the Institute of Defence Management at Hindustan Aeronautical Limited, Kanpur Division.

Group Captain Ajit Kumar Banorji has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

On the night of 22nd/23rd October, 1975, the worst ever cyclone was experienced over Jamnagar airfield. When the cyclone actually hit Jamnagar airfield, its fury knew no bounds. The fierce effects of the cyclone started at about 1730 hours. Within a matter of half an hour, the strong winds damaged the steel electric power pylons. Immediately thereafter, the entire airfield was plunged into darkness. The Station was now faced with a grim situation of extremely wild winds, incessant rains and total darkness. The cyclone continued to build up its fury and started uprooting aircraft picketed in the open.

Group Captain Mehra the Station Commander Air Force Station Jamnagar personally led a group of his men and physically tried to keep the aircraft on the ground. The aircraft parked in the open were up­rooted from the nose­wheel. It was a gigantic effort to hold the aircraft down to the ground with manual labour. Under the conditions prevailing at that time, it was only by sheer determination of his men under his inspiring leadership that the aircraft were saved from total damage. While his men were engaged in trying to save the aircraft, one of the hangar housing aircraft collapsed. Group Captain Mehra immediately rushed to the scene in drenching rain and ravaging winds. He tried to ensure that after the collapse of the hangar, the aircraft were not damaged any further by loose ground equipment around. Whilst these rescue operations were on, a second hangar also collapsed. It was to the credit of Group Captain Mehra that inspite of mounting odds, he continued to guide personally the rescue operations.

His frequent movement from one scene to another in what truly alarming conditions was done with utter and complete disregard for his own safety and comfort. He had realised that unless he set a personal example, his men would perhaps give up the effort because of sheer frustrating conditions.

Next morning the airfield presented a most pathetic sight. Hangars had collapsed, building roofs were blown­off, aircraft were up-rooted and the airfield was littered with debris all over. By now the water supply had also been denied to the Station. Inspite of his being extremely tired and exhausted from the efforts of the previous night, Group Captain Mehra continued to take immediate actions which were necessary to restore some degree of normalcy in the camp. It was due to his ability and leadership that the personnel and their families at Jamnagar faced this worst ever crisis with a smile. The actual damage to AVSM 1976-77 the aircraft, the most valuable item on the airfield, was very insignificant compared to the conditions experienced during the cyclone.

Group Captain Mehra displayed a very high degree of leaders hip and professional competence to ensure that the damage would be minimal even when he was subjected to a very high degree of stress and strain. Had it not been for him, the damages at Jamnagar would have assumed frightening proportions.

Group Captain Surendra Kumar Mehra, VM has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.