Air Vice Marshal Mangalvedkar Jivanrao Vittal was commissioned in the Air Force in January, 1950, Since then, he has served as Engineering Officer of a Heavy Bomber Squadron, Officer incharge Overhaul, Repair and Maintenance of various types of aircraft in one of the biggest Repair Depots of the Air Forces, Chief Technical Officer of a major operational station, Deputy Air Attaché in the Embassy of India, Moscow, and Senior Maintenance Staff Officer of both Training and Operational Commands. At present, he is Air Officer Engineering and Systems at Headquarters Maintenance Command. At Air Headquarters, he held the appointments of Director of Maintenance Plans and Inspection, Director Armament and Safety Equipment and Director of Engineering 'A' responsible for maintenance of all types of aircraft of Soviet and East European origin. He has undergone training in inspection and major overhaul of a fighter aircraft in France. He was member of a number of Defence delegations which visited various foreign countries for evaluation of Weapon System to be inducted into the IAF.

During his tenure as Engineering Officer of the Heavy Bomber Squadron, he was called upon to fly as Flight Engineer, as there was a shortage of Flight Engineers. He undertook this assignment at his personal risk and flew approximately 250 hours. As Officer incharge overhaul at the Base Repair Depot, he undertook the task of completing the major overhaul of twelve fighter aircraft in two months without any established overhaul schedule. He successfully completed the task in time and also prepared a major servicing for the aircraft, as the schedule supplied by the foreign manufacturers was not suitable for adoption by the Indian Air Force. As Chief Technical Officer of a major Operational Station, he established the first Maintenance Control Centre in IAF for coordinating the maintenance activities of the Station. This enhanced the operational potential of the flying units located at the station and consequently similar centres were established at all flying stations. As Senior Maintenance Staff Officer of an Operational Command, he was responsible for the systematic and successful induction of two new types of aircraft in the units under the Command. Although almost half the task year was already over when he was posted as Air Officer Engineering and Systems at Headquarters Maintenance Command, by his professional competence and dedication, he achieved hundred per cent completion of the tasks by all the Repair Depots under the Command. He made significant contribution in refining the production processes and thereby helped in promoting indigenisation efforts of the Maintenance Command. He resolved major bottle­necks in production and maintained a close watch on the progress. Because of his inbred qualities of dedication and sincerity, he generated a sense of co­operation and comradeship among his men and made significant contribution towards effective operational preparedness of the Air Force.

Air Vice Marshal Mangalvedkar Jivanrao Vittal has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Ram Lal Bhalla was commissioned in the Air Force in November, 1949. AVSM 1981 During his service career, he has held various important posts and was also in command of a Base Repair Depot where he was responsible, for the overhaul of mechanical transport.

He was posted as Director of Personnel (Airmen) in January, 1979. He realized that it was vitally important to retain trained and skilled manpower which was opting to leave the Air Force after completing their initial tenure. With that intention, he carried out a study and identified the areas in which there was a need to improve the career prospects and service conditions of airmen. His findings were subsequently projected through the Chiefs of Staff Committee Paper which was accepted by Government and resulted in the sanction of a large number of upgradations, increase in honorary commissions and substantial improvements in the scales of married establishment. Working with foresight, he prepared contingent plans for the implementation of upgradations and this enabled Air Headquarters to authorise approximately 10,000 promotions within a week of the issue of formal Government letter. This had tremendous effect on the morale of serving Air Force personnel. By his tremendous hard work and positive approach, he succeeded in his mission and made equal opportunities for promotion available to all airmen irrespective of their trade.

While he was at Avadi, he prepared a scheme for construction of houses for the officers and the airmen on cooperative basis. This scheme was implemented at Madras during 1978-79 and was later converted into an inter­Service Air Force and Naval Housing Scheme with the express aim of providing a house at the time of retirement to all members who made regular payments to the Housing Board. This scheme, which was his brainchild, is now growing up and various State Governments have already earmarked land for allocation to the Air Force and Naval Housing Board.

He had also observed that the number of Airmen Selection Centres was insufficient and that there were imperfections in the recruitment system. It was on his initiative that an effective and corruption free Central Recruitment Cell which has ensured good returns to the Air Force, has been organised.

Air Commodore Ram Lal Bhalla has rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Vice Marshal Biman Kantha Mukherjee was commissioned in the Engineering Branch of the Air Force in January, 1950. In May, 1978, he was posted as Senior Maintenance Staff Officer at Headquarters Eastern Air Command. With his post graduate qualifications in Aeronautical Engineering from Institute of Technology Cranfield, Material Management Training at Administrative Staff College, Hyderabad,

Management Course at Indian Institute of Defence Management and Work Study Course at Work Study Institute, Mussorie, Air Vice Marshal Mukherjee has AVSM 1980-81 acquired high professional and Managerial competence. Endowed with these capabilities, he brought about, within a short time, all­round improvement in the maintenance activities at the Command. The insufficient serviceability of ageing aircraft, like Caribou, Dakota- Otter, Gnat and Hunter, had been causing great concern as it had considerably hampered the Maintenance and Training tasks. Even comparatively new aircraft like MiG, Avro, Chetak, Cheetah and Mi-8 were not having the desired serviceability mainly because of shortage of spares and the inadequate supply line. Through his dedicated efforts and close liaison with Air Headquarters, Maintenance Command, Equipment and Base Repair Depots and by judicious use of every available cross country flight for quick transportation of spares, he achieved high serviceability of all types of aircraft within a short period and ensured that this achievement was sustained.

With his considerable Management background, he took up the inventory control problem faced by the units, organised a thorough scrutiny of all inventories, back loading of non­moving items, weekly review of fast moving items and made the inventories small and purposeful without, in any way, affecting the serviceability of the aircraft. His other major contribution was in the field of Flight Safety. Certain aircraft like Dakota, Caribou, MiG and Chetak were having serious premature engine withdrawal problems. He introduced a system of thorough analysis of defects of repetitive nature, and not only arranged prompt defect investigation by repair agencies but also invited experts, from HAL/BRDs for on the spot discussions and guidance to operating units. Seminars on POL Quality Control with the participation by top management and experts from IOC were organised at different Units to improve Flight Safety consciousness all around.

Despite large scale disturbances, road picketing and total dislocation of supplies during 1979-80 in the Eastern Sector, he formulated his plans in advance and ensured adequate supply of fuel at all the Stations for normal flying and rations, clothing and other items of daily use for his units.

Air Vice Marshal Biman Kantha Mukherjee has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Madan Lal Sethi (4009) was commissioned as a Navigator in the Flying Branch of the Air Force in January, 1951. After early years of service in an operational squadron he was selected to undergo a specialist course abroad and utilized for training other crews in this role in India. Later he was one of the first two crews trained abroad on Jet Bomber aircraft and formed the nucleus of the newly formed conversion unit in India. He was amongst the first batch of Air Force personnel to be trained on SAGW system. As Officer Commanding of an operational SAGW squadron undeterred by hardships, he achieved the distinction of the first unit in IAF to become operational.

He has held several staff appointments. As Joint Director Navigation he formulated categorization scheme for all navigators and Air Traffic Controllers to achieve the highest standard of operations. He displayed high quality of planning and organizational acumen in formation of the integrated Area Control Centre in J&K. He has creditably commanded the largest ground training station in the IAF.

For his instructional capability of an extremely high standard, displayed as Directing Staff of the Defence Services Staff College, he was selected as Leader of the Training Team which established Air Wing of the Staff College in a friendly foreign country. In his present appointment of Director (Military) in the Cabinet Secretariat, he functions as Secretary to the Chiefs of Staff Committee and is responsible for interpreting military matters for the Cabinet Secretary to whom he directly reports. In this capacity, he also administers the Joint Planning and the Joint Communication Electronics Staff. In all these assignments, he has acquitted himself creditably.

Air Commodore Madan Lal Sethi has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Denzil Edward Satur was commissioned in the Flying Branch of the Air Force in August, 1952 and has over 4000 hours of flying to his credit. During his service of about 28 years, he has handled a wide and varied range of assignments and held with distinction a number of important appointments of Squadron Commander, Deputy Director of Flight Safety at Air Headquarters, Flying Station Commander and Air I at Command Headquarters. In all the assignments handled by him, he displayed his professional skill and administrative ability and acquitted himself creditably.

In 1978, he took over the command of a major forward base in the Western Sector. He applied himself to the task of and brought about all­round improvement in the operational preparedness and administrative efficiency at his station. He also improved the working environment and living conditions and streamlined the general administration including Passive Air Defence and Ground Defence. He also ensured that the standard of administration and other welfare activities were maintained at a high level.

Air Commodore Denzil Edward Satur has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Dilip Shankar Jog was commissioned in the Flying Branch of the Air Force in October, 1953. He successfully commanded a station and two squadrons and did a tenure in Directorate of Staff Inspection. He is a qualified Flying Instructor. He has a total of 4422 flying hours to his credit. In his present assignment he has flown 149 hours. He has been in command of a large flying station since January, 1979. His units include various types of sophisticated aircraft such as Canberras, MiGs, and Cheetahs. It was by his analytical approach to problems and his ingenuity to make optimum utilisation of his available resources that he made it possible to achieve operational status within a very short period. Many of the problems associated with achieving such tasks were solved by utilising required facilities available in one form or the other by the units functioning under his command. Himself a hardworking and dedicated officer, he expects similar standards from his officers and men and always goes out of his way to guide and train them to attain that standard. He maintains cordial relations with his Army and civilian colleagues.

Air Commodore Dilip Shankar Jog has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Group Captain Mukund Chatterjee was commissioned in the Air Force in 1953. He has served in Squadrons, Wings and Staff appointments with distinction. His contribution as Senior Armament Officer of No. 2 Wing was significant. In 1968, he was commended by Air Officer Commending-in-Chief, Western Air Command, for his contribution in the operational preparedness of Canberra aircraft. In December 1979, he was posted as Joint Director of Engineering (C) at Air Headquarters and was assigned the responsibility of providing complete maintenance support to Gnat, Ajeet and Marut aircraft. Ajeet aircraft was introduced into the Service in November, 1978, but its gunnery system was not functioning satisfactorily. M/S. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, who were responsible for the design of this aircraft, could not rectify the defect despite their best efforts. Group Captain Chatterjee, who was assigned the responsibility to study the complete gunnery system of the aircraft and suggest remedial measures, conducted static and air­to­ground firing trials from various ranges away from his base. Eventually he succeeded in finding out the causes of the gun stoppages. After the modifications suggested by him had been carried out, the gunnery system of the aircraft has become satisfactory.

Group Captain Chatterjee has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Group Captain Annaswami Sridharan was commissioned in the Flying Branch of the Air Force in July, 1954. He has held various responsible posts in which he acquitted himself creditably. As a pilot, he has maintained a very high professional level throughout and has held various important jobs including those of Flight Commander, Commanding Officer of a S-22 Squadron and Officer Command ing Tactics and Combat Development and Training Establishment. He also went for an instructional tenure abroad.

In April, 1978, he took over the Command of a station in the Eastern Sector which coincided with the induction of Supersonic Fighter Squadron to the Station. It was a transport base and required re­orientation of the facilities and environment for the new aircraft. He undertook the task and despite innumerable difficulties succeeded in reorienting the air and ground environment needed for the fighter squadron within a short time. By his able leadership, he organised the whole Station to function as a cohesive and well knit unit. He also supervised all the transport operations from his base and achieved the flying task of fighters and transport units simultaneously maintaining a high degree of flight safety environment. Through his personal involvement by frequently leading tactical missions himself he inspired the pilots at the Station to achieve high standard of professionalism. He gradually achieved this goal and the same was proved when, at the Inter Squadron gunnery meet held in November, 1978, the squadron based at his Station won the Over All Trophy and Rocket Projectile Trophy.

In the field of Maintenance, he ensured the serviceability of all specialist and commonuser vehicles and aircraft. His all round high administrative performance is evident from the fact that, among other things, he took particular care to provide basic needs of accommodation, transport and other amenities to his men at the station. This ensured high morale among his men at the Station and also contributed directly to the operational preparedness of his unit.

Group Captain Annaswamy Sridharan has thus rendered distinguished, service of exceptional order.