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Vishist Seva Medal Awardee List for the year 2016
A total of 29 Awards are listed.
Vishist Seva Medal : 29 |
 Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
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| Air Cmde | Mothlampet Sabari Gireesa Menon 17035 ADM | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Air Commodore Mothlampet Sabari Gireesa Menon (17035) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller in the administrative branch on 29 Dec 1982. During his service, he has held the appointments of Senior Air Traffic Controller, Directing Staff at Air Traffic Control Officer's Training Establishment, CO of a Ground Controlled Approach Squadron, Chief Administrative Officer (C Adm 0) of a Station and Commandant Air Force Administrative College (AFAC).Presently, he is working as Principal Director Operations Air Traffic Services. He is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College and National Defence College. As C Adm 0 of the first UN contingent to Sudan, he displayed great administrative acumen in setting up the IAF camp in the face of adverse and trying conditions, for which he was commended by the Vice Chief of Air Staff in 2007. During his tenure as C Adm 0, his foresight in planning and keen monitoring of the execution of works services resulted in significant improvement of infrastructure and in the quality of life. Measures initiated by him towards economy in consumption of electricity resulted in large savings in payment of tariff to the tune of Rs lilacs per month. As Commandant AFAC, he ensured smooth relocation of Centre for Leadership and Behavioral Science (CLASS) from College of Air Warfare (CAW) to AFAC in spite of severe infrastructure shortages. Numerous technical and administrative infrastructures were created to accommodate the ever-increasing strength of trainee officers. During his tenure as Commandant AFAC,the college won the trophies for "Best in Administration" and "Best Secondary AF School of IAF" consecutively for three years. As PO Ops (ATS), with his professional acumen and good liaison, he ensured that implementation of FUA was in the best interests of the IAF. All airspace issues with AAI were deftly handled, resulting in release of airspaces for a large number of IAF bases where earlier none existed. As Chairman of the Project Management Group for the MAFI project, the officer made every effect to ensure that project implementation did not get unduly delayed and that bottlenecks and impediments were addressed expeditiously. His consistent endeavour towards realization of the case for accretion of additional manpower to man joint User Airfields is soon to bear fruit the likelihood of its approval. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Air Commodore Mothlampet Sabari Gireesa Menon. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Air Cmde | Pranay Kumar Hridayesb Sinha 17118 AE(L) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Air Commodore Pranay Kumar Hridayesh Sinha (17118) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an engineer in the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) branch on 14 Feb 83 and presently serving as AOC of a BRD. During his 32 years of distinguished career he has held important field and staff appointments like STO of fighter sqns, CO AFLE (Korwa) and AFLE (Nasik), CEO of an Operational Wing and CA of a premier ac BRD. As Air Cmde he held the important appointments of CSO (Air) and C Eng 0 of HQ WAC He is a post graduate from lIT, Kanpur and also an alumni of DSSC, Wellington. As STO of MIC 23 BN Sqn he got CAS commendation in 1993 and as CO AFLE, Korwa received best AFLE award for 2000-01 from HQ MC Ae CEO he ensured the desired levels of maintenance support during the conduct of two exercises i.e. Ex-SINDEX at Singapore in Dec 06 and Ex-INDRA-DHANUSH in Jul 07 at Waddington, UK. At BRD, as Chief of Aircraft, his meticulous planning and optimum spare management he ensured MiC-23 and MiC-29 ac production task and successful implementation of 'Lean Engineering Practices' in consultation with lIT, Kharagpur. Under his effective leadership, AFLE (ND) bagged the coveted best AFLE award for 2009-10 of HQ MC. Detailed planning and seamless execution of assigned task as CSO (Air) and C Eng 0 won the appreciation of HQ WAC As AOC, with his innovative ideas he has brought total transformation in the working environment of the BRD. This is now evident from the increased availability of BRD supported systems in the field units. His inspiring management skill motivated the Depot to develop many test and repair facilities with in-house resources and expertise. This innovation, improvement and indigenisation drive not only enhanced the repair capability of the Depot but also saved precious Forex. His sincere efforts have also resulted in overall improvement of quality of life and morale of Air warriors of the Depot For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Air Commodore Pranay Kumar Hridayesh Sinha. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Air Cmde | Annada Kanta Misra 17201 ADM | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Air Commodore Armada Kanta Misra (17201) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller in the administrative branch on 28 May 1983. In his 31 years of distinguished service, he has held many important appointments including that of a DASl Inspector, Director at Air HQ and CATCO at Command HQ. He was the Chief Administrative Officer (C Adm 0) of a very active premier fighter base. As C Adm 0, the officer initiated and accomplished work services that contributed significantly in enhancing the security environment of aircraft operating areas which has positively affected the operational preparedness of the fighter Squadrons based in the Station. He has also displayed tremendous acumen to handle mega pilot project pertaining to the work of 'Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI)' System that not only effectively houses the modern technology and advanced equipment related to the Project but has also won accolades by Builders Association of India as a "Well Built Structure". The officer can be duly credited for spearheading the drive from the Station for segregation of commercial tariffs being universally charged to the Station by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Corporation Limited (MSEDCL)to domestic rates, thereby achieving savings to the tune of approximately Rs. 17 lakhs per month to the exchequer. In his relentless pursuit of the issues in respect of encroached IAF Land, he strongly projected the case to the Maharashtra State Government and achieved an 'In Principle' agreement by the Chief Secretary, Maharashtra to order the Pune Municipal Corporation to study the case for giving land adjoining the AF Station in lieu of encroached land. The Officer has been extremely proactive in directing efforts of administration towards improving the quality of life of air warriors and their families and achieving accolades in Sports. His administrative acumen was clearly visible in seamless handling of the visits of VIPs including Prime Minister of India during 2014 & 2015. Previously, while being at Air Headquarters, the officer contributed significantly toward the formulation of policy and guidelines in respect of Runway Resurfacing Projects for the lAF. For distinguished services of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Air Commodore Annada Kanta Misra. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Air Cmde | Sanjay Kumar 17637 AE(L) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Air Commodore Sanjay Kumar (17637) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an engineer in the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) branch on 20 Aug 84. In 31 years of his career he has achieved a number of milestones as Station Commander of a Base Repair Depot (BRD), Project Director at Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE) and Air Officer Commanding of a BRD. As Station Commander of a BRD, he revamped the entire station and introduced innovative repair and calibration technology for radars and Aerostats. As a Project Director in DARE, he designed and developed Test Rig for United Receiver Exciter Processor, Solid State Trans Receive Unit and Vivaldi Antenna Array. He also validated the Test Rig for the first time in Anechoic Chamber. He could demonstrate the live detection of multiple threats through Radar Warning Receiver and simultaneous multimode jamming to threats with desired level of Effective Isotropic Radiated Power and Direction Finding accuracy. His pioneering job has resulted in integration of EW suit in aircraft upgrades. In the present assignment, as an Air Officer Commanding of the BRD he has undertaken the daunting task of Test Programme Suit (TPS) development for SU-30 fuel system, Gyrosystem of MiG-29, Deicing System of AN-32 through Reverse Engineering without any publication and external help. With his R&D expertise, he has led by example by developing the repair technology for various fleets and trained two officers and dozens of airmen to develop TPS for many densely populated multilayer Cards of Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation system, M-7 and TR- 2400 radio sets for quick fault diagnosis and repair in record time. It has not only resulted in savings of Forex, but also boosted the 'Make in India' programme through Reverse Engineering where neither Original Equipment Manufacturer nor Indian Industries support was forthcoming. He has also revamped the entire logistics stores, disposed off the salvage worth Rs 1.8 Cr. He has been able to complete various complex indigenisation tasks on various aircraft systems For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Air Commodore Sanjay Kumar (Retd). | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Air Cmde | Shashiker Choudhary 17645 AE(M) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Air Commodore Shashiker Choudhary (17645) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an engineer in the Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) branch on 29 Aug 84. He has held the appointments of Senior Technical Officer, Senior Engineer (Aircraft),Chief Engineer, Deputy Air Attache, Director Engineering, Chief Engineering Officer at Air Force Academy, Air Officer Commanding of a Base Repair Depot and Principal Director at Air Headquarters. The officer has undergone post graduation from lIT Kharagpur, DSSC and National Defence College. In the initial stage of the service the officer remained posted to front line MiG-23MF and MiG-27MLunits and maintained high operational readiness of the unit. He was instrumental in re-equipment of a Sqn with MiG-29 ac. He was involved in successful modification of Banner target towing operations on both MiG-23MF and MiG-27ML aircraft. During tenure as Chief Engineer (R-29 engine), assigned task was surpassed, despite numerous challenges. As Deputy Air Attache, Moscow, the officer addressed numerous critical issues likereliabilityofR-29Bengines, reliability of Kopyo radars, repair of damaged SU-30MKIaircraft etc. As Air Officer Commanding of the Base Repair Depot, apart from achieving the assigned tasks, the officer was involved in flawless conduct of the Presidential Standards Presentation held at Air Force Station Sulur. In the present assignment, the officer has strived to ensure availability of all technologistics resources for un-interrupted conduct of flying training as well as maintenance of Remotely Piloted Aircraft in operationally readiness state. Maintenance of high serviceability and timely completion of flying training courses in time are testimony of his perseverance and hard work. The officer's involvement towards successful induction and subsequent completion of three Stage-I flying training courses on Pilatus PC-7 deserve a special mention. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vtshisht Seva Medal to Air Commodore Shashiker Choudhary. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Air Cmde | Narinder Taneja 18187 MED | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Air Commodore Narinder Taneja (18187) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in medical branch on 26 Dec 85 and is presently the Principal Director Medical Services (Specialist). He has been a path-breaking aerospace medicine specialist and an Advisor to whom juniors and colleagues look up to for a balanced opinion. He has received the Joseph Haley Award in 2.003for his published research on injuries in aircraft accidents, the DGAFMS & Colonel Commandant Award twice for his research on musculoskeletal disabilities and ejection experiences of aircrew and the Om Satya Mehra Award for analysis of injuries during para-trooping. He is trained on Human Factors in the US and is now widely recognized as the Human Factors expert in the IAF. He introduced the tenets of Human Factors Analysis and Classification System in the IAF, which now forms the mainstay of aircraft accident investigation. He implemented the Air Force Patient Safety Programme in 2012 and developed the Air Force Patient Safety Reporting System. He has been key to retrieval of personnel in low medical category and recovered aircrew with diseases like Diabetes, Alpha Thalassemia, Leukemia, Hip replacement, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Hypertension in fighter aircrew back to the cockpit. He also developed the hugely successful policy of upgrading aircrew in the field with significant financial savings to the exchequer. The Family Sick Report by Appointment and Single Day Single Visit Annual Medical Examination, conceptualized and implemented by him are saving thousands of man-hours for the organization every day. The lAF Family Health Program, Swasth Sangini, has enabled early detection and treatment of disease among the Sanginis. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Air Commodore Narinder Taneja. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Air Cmde | Ranjan Kumar Choudhury 18384 MED | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Air Commodore Ranjan Kumar Choudhury (18384) was commissioned as a doctor in the Army Medical Corps and seconded to Air Force on 05 May 1986.He has held important field and staff appointments at various stations including command of No. 3 and 11Air Force Hospitals. He has also held the appointment of Senior Medical Officer at AF Station, New Delhi from 2008 to 2011. He is presently the Principal Medical Officer from 30 Dec 14. While serving at Air Force Station, New Delhi his well coordinated efforts resulted in successful conversion of the adhoc dental detachment to a full-fledged No. 21 Air Force Dental Centre. He has displayed dynamic leadership and commendable zeal in dealing with patient welfare issues like outsourcing of specialist medical services through public fund for the first time in Air Force. His efforts in rationalizing the medical stores procurement process for various United Nation missions and improving the medical infrastructure while at Air Force Station, New Delhi is highly praiseworthy. During his command tenure at 11 Air Force Hospital he proactively involved himself in improving the infrastructure of the hospital and the patient services. He was instrumental in preparing the load tables and streamlining the inventory of the No. 3 Rapid Action Medical Team ensuring its operational readiness for disaster relief operations. His total involvement and relentless pursuit for systematic improvement of the hospital & ECHS polyclinic at Hindan is commendable and merits recognition. During his tenure at this Command Headquarters he has been able to transform the medical units under CAC into Centre's of Excellence by providing clear guidelines and directives. He has successfully transformed the health care delivery at the units by launching various preventive health campaigns like Fit CAC, Swasth Ayodhi & Obesity Prevention Camps. His relentless efforts have yielded the desired effect in arresting the rising trend in lifestyle diseases. particularly obesity incidence. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Air Commodore Ranjan Kumar Choudhury. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Sanjay Shukla 17379 ADM | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Sanjay Shukla (17379) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in Administrative branch on 22 Dec 83. Group Captain Shukla has served as Chief Administrative Officer (C Adm 0) of four major Air Force Stations. He led the administrative team admirably in each of these assignments creating numerous new facilities thereby improving infrastructure, operational facilities and quality of life. He was instrumental in initiatives like Railway Passenger Reservation System at a IAF base, an Airmen's Institute, Living-In Airmen's Club, Digital Cinema, an ISO certified state of art bakery and smart class rooms in the AF School. During his tenure as C Adm 0 at one of the bases he undertook the administrative challenges related to the C-17 induction in a very effective manner. The officer also planned and executed many prestigious projects including 'Runway Resurfacing'. He directed the administration towards improving the quality of life at the station by upgrading facilities and creating systems such as maintenance Meals and home collection and delivery of furniture. He also undertook the task of reclaiming encroached AF land at Tilpat. Similarly,32 small pockets of IAF land near Hindan airfield lying abandoned for decades were also reclaimed. The officer was instrumental in establishing and operating a nodal centre for Uttarakhand flood relief operations at Hindan in 2013. Another important task performed by Group Captain Shukla as C Adm 0 was the conduct of Air Force Day Parades 2012 and 2013 in an exemplary manner resulting in all round accolades for IAF. . In his present assignment at HQ SAC, he has streamlined the functioning of the AR cell which has resulted in timely and error free submission of all ARs of HQ SAC. He displayed a proactive approach in enhancing expenditure in procurement of security equipment. He ensured a significant reduction in number of outstanding movements and ARs. He was also instrumental in streamlining the activities of Polyclinics under HQ SAC. One of his major contributions was operationalisation of ECHS Erode which was long pending. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Sanjay Shukla. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Krishnaswamy Anantharaman 17882 ADM | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Krishnaswamy Anantharaman (17882) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in Administrative branch on 14 Jun 1985. During his 30 years of service career in the IAF, he has been Adm Officer of a flying station, Training Unit and Embarkation HQs, CO & APM of two Provost Units and worked in a staff appointment in AOA branch at Air HQs and as an Inspector in DASI. He has been the Chief Adm Officer of two bases, ASTE and the prestigious AF Stn New Delhi for seven years. He has been awarded CAS Commendation twice in the year 1992 and 2005 and AOC-in-C Commendation in 1990. He is a graduate of DSSC and CDM and has completed UN Peacekeeping Course & Defense Intelligence Training programme at USA. He is presently posted as Command Works Officer at HQ Training Command since 31 Mar 13. The officer possesses sharp administrative acumen and has the ability to conceptualise and bring in improvements in his sphere of work. During his tenure as Chief Administrative Officer at ASTE, he played a pivotal role during the Presidential Colours Event in Nov 2005. He excelled as the APM of two Provost Units and instilled professionalism in the personnel placed under him. During his tenure at the Chief Adm Officer of AF Stn New Delhi from 2009-2012, he was instrumental in the complete transformation of the station by planning and executing major works services. The unique spread of the station did not deter him in continuously monitoring and accomplishing improvements in Billets, Messes, Married Accommodation, CSD Canteen, living out areas, shopping complexes and Sports to the tune of Rs. 1200 lacs. On taking over as Command Works Officer of HQ Training Command in March 13, he laid impetus on the upgradation of infrastructure through AMWP, Special Repairs and Maintenance works. With his hard work and total devotion to duty, he ensured that works to the tune of Rs. 363 Cr (85%of ceiling) were released in 2014-15 in areas of training infrastructure, OTM,Md Accn, Messes, Billets and hygiene areas. He was instrumental in chalking out a 5 years Roll-on plan for improvement in infrastructure in TC Units. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Krishnaswamy Anantharaman. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Sunil Mediratta 18893 ADM | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Sunil Mediratta (18893) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a fighter controller in Administrative branch on 13 Jun 87. He has held appointments of CO of a TRU, Dy Camp Commandant at Air HQ (VB), Project Director of Air Force Naval Housing Board and C Adm 0 at Equipment Depot and is presently posted as Director at Directorate of Air Veterans(DAV),Air HQ. He has been commended by AOC-in-C in 2000 and CAS in 2010. Gp Capt Mediratta commanded the TRU during the challenging time when Bhuj was devastated by the earthquake in 2001 followed by prolonged deployment during Op Parakram. Asa project Director at AFNHB he was instrumental in acquiring of 60,000 Sq Mtrs of Government land at concessional rates for a housing project at Dehradun. Gp Capt Sunil Mediratta was specially posted to create the new Directorate of Air Veterans. His meticulous planning and excellent coordination with MES and Camp Commandant resulted in setting up state of art infrastructure to accommodate the new Directorate and a smooth transition and operationalization of DAV at Subroto Park in record time. With systematic planning and time management Gp Capt Mediratta shouldered this additional responsibility with extreme professionalism. With his zeal, enthusiasm, professional knowledge and dedication he is always in the forefront to address the issues raised by the Air Veterans. His personal involvement in dealing with the office of JCDA (AF), CPPC and banks has resulted in resolution of long pending issues of pensioners. The officer possesses exceptional planning and organizing capabilities. Two Air Veteran Rallies and one placement fair were organised with professional aplomb. With his excellent liaison in the corporate sector, DAV was able to generate large number of vacancies for air warriors. Signing of MoU for placement of air warriors with BMRC Land Hyderabad Metro are some of the land marks achieved under his direction. The officer has been instrumental in carrying forward the campaign for Aadhar cards with signing of MoU with UIDAI. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Sunil Mediratta. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Ajay Kumar Pan 19377 LGS | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Ajay Kumar Pan (19377) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in Logistics branch on 11 Jun 1988. In his career of 26 years, he has held various appointments in Logistics Branch. He has been Director Personnel Officers-1(Lgs), Joint Director Lgs (Mirage), Command Logistics Management Officer (CLMO)at HQ MC, Contingent Logistics Officer of United Nations Mission at Congo, Senior Logistics Officer ofAir Force Station Bagdogra and Navigation Leader in Communication Flights. He is a post graduate of College of Defence Management and Defence Services Staff College. He has been commended by the CAS in 1994 and by the GOC-in-C, Central Command in 1995. As CLMO, he initiated provisioning activities of AN-32, Mi-8 & Mi-I7. His analysis of Provisioning Reviews helped in valuable savings.AsDPO-1 (Lgs),he was instrumental in launching of Online Augmentation Module. As the Commanding Officer of 54 Air Stores Park, he faced the challenge of illegal constructions around the unit. Appropriate evidences to the High Court of Chandigarh led to issuance of demolition orders. First time in the history of the unit, demolition drive under his leadership was carried out on 25 Sep 14 and 03 Dec 14. He was instrumental in projecting unit's role on correct perspective to the High Level Committee set up by Cabinet Secretary. He could draw the attention of higher formations for optimal utilisation of the existing storage wherewithal rather than create additional storage. Allocations led to increase in holding by 30% and cancellation of approved projects worth Rs 115 Cr. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Ajay Kumar Pan. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Sivaraman Sreekanth 19479 ADM | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Sivaraman Sreekanth (I9479) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller in the administrative branch on 17 Dec 88. He has been performing duties as Director Personnel Airmen at Air HQ since 28 Apr 14. In his career spanning 26 Years, the officer has worked across the span of the country. He has also been Joint Director Personnel (Deputations Abroad) at Air HQs and functioned as C Adm 0 whilst on deputation to a UN Peace Keeping Mission, in Congo. Earlier the Officer has also held the appointment as Instructor, Faculty of Administration at the Air Force Academy, and CO and Assistant Provost Marshal at a PGS Unit covering Assam and Arunachal Zone where he has rendered unstinted support towards many aircraft search and missions In his present appointment as Director Personnel Airmen the officer has exhibited a great sense of responsibility, tact and substance in delivering output well beyond the call of duty. He had actively participated in the major task of rationalization of manpower for the IAF and has innovatively suggested functional concepts for manpower deployment and redistribution, many of which have fructified. He has been instrumental in ensuring system wise fleet wise manpower availability and development of the induction plan keeping in view the cadre needs. The officer, through diligence and commitment, ensured achievement of targets assigned, thereby contributing to operational efficiency of the organization. He has been involved in garnering the necessary support and inputs necessary from various stake holders towards development of new policies related to career progression of airmen as well as revitalizing the cadre in certain trades. The officer through personal involvement has kept the work force of the directorate motivated enough to be able to meet timelines in terms of queries from MoD, RTI inquiries and defending numerous court cases against IAF on HR issues related to airmen in addition to other routine commitments. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Sivaraman Sreekanth. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Lanka Venkata Sai Ramesh 19626 AE(L) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Lanka Venkata Sai Ramesh (19626) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an engineer in the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) branch on 12 Sep 88. He is qualified on all variants of MiG-21 and has successfully held appointments at all levels of functioning in a Flying Base including Senior Technical Officer of Flying Squadrons, Senior Engineer (Aircraft) and Chief Engineering Officer. He has also functioned as Joint Director and Director at Air HQ. He has gained two Masters Degrees after completion of courses at Defence Services Staff College and College of Defence Management. He exhibits commendable technical acumen, engineering insight and management skills. As Director at Air HQ he undertook a study of the requirement of aeroengines for sustaining all the variants of MiG-21 aircraft through their life cycle. He played a major role in recovery of a BISON ac declared beyond repair by HAL. With his engineering analysis, he was able to impress upon HAL to recover the aircraft by using the mono-cock structure of another accident ac also rendered unrecoverable. The ac after recovery has been put into operation. He has been associated with important projects like life extension of Ai-20D aeroengine and TVC of SU-30. He also worked on the current Maintenance Instructions. He possesses exceptional foresight and co-ordination skills which he effectively utilizes in his present appointment as Command Co-ordination Officer. Due to his professional competence, exposure gained in the field, out of the box thinking and communication skills; he represents Maintenance Command in the 'Think Tank' of the IAF. He is an animal lover, sports person and an accomplished golfer. He also takes keen interest in social and cultural activities. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Lanka Venkata Sai Ramesh. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Sanjiv Ghuratia 19648 AE(L) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Sanjiv Ghuratia (19648) war commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an engineer in the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) branch on 12 September 1988. He is posted to Air Headquarters as Director Air Staff Requirement (Weapons). In 26 years of his distinguished service, Group Captain Sanjiv Ghuratia has held numerous important field and staff appointments that include Chief Engineering Officer of a flying base, Chief of Aircraft at a Base Repair Depot, Chief Engineering Officer at United Nations Mission in Congo and Instructor at Air Force Test Pilots School. He has contributed immensely as a Flight Test Engineer in many important weapon and sensor integration projects including Air to Air Missile, Air to Surface Missile, Helmet Mounted Display System and Laser Designator Pod on fighter aircraft. As Chief Engineering Officer of a Flying Base and UN Mission at Congo his technical acumen and management skills ensured sustained operations through very high serviceability of the available aircraft. His initiative for reviving the 50 hours servicing of Mi-I7 1V helicopters at THOISE saved precious flying hours for Operation Meghdoot. His insightful analysis of dangerous pattern of consecutive replacements of Tail Drive Shafts of the Mi series helicopters has been acknowledged to have prevented potential accidents. The officer was instrumental in the recovery of Indira Radar that was stationary for 11 years at a remote operational location at 9000 feet altitude and also orchestrated the first on-site overhaul of ST-68Radar. Under his leadership as Chief of Aircraft, the Base Repair Depot successfully undertook the challenging task of overhauling Mi-17 and Mi-8 helicopters in the face of uncertainty of many critical spares. In Directorate of Air Staff Requirements The officer with his ingenuity and foresight offered solutions to complex issues of procurement and project management that lead to accord of long awaited Initial Operational Clearance to Light Combat Aircraft. His sound knowledge and professionalism has positively impacted the modernisation drive of the Indian Air Force towards induction of weapons and Ground Based Air Defence systems. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Sanjiv Ghuratia. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Hila! Ahmad Rather 19863 F(P) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Hilal Ahmad Rather, VM (I9863) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a pilot in the flying branch on 17Dec 88. He has more than 3000 hours of accident free flying on MiG-21s,Mirage-zooo and Kiran aircraft. He is a Fighter Combat Leader and a qualified Flying Instructor. He is a graduate from DSSC and has served as a Directing Staff at DSSC as well. He has commanded a Mirage-2000 Squadron and also a front-line Air Force Base. He graduated from the Air War College in USA with academic distinction. Gp Capt HA Rather took over as OpslA, WAC on 15 JuI 2013. With dogged determination, he systematically went about addressing the weak aspects of aircrew training and diligently monitored the achievement of the set targets. WAC managed to register a record increase in upgradation of U/C aircrew, night flying effort, weapon delivery and utilisation of simulators, identified as the key areas for improvement. WAC achieved lowest U/C and the highest ops aircrew status ever during the period. He was instrumental in achieving enhanced availability of training aids like ACMI launchers, bomb simulator plugs, Data Loaders and training missiles through relentless staff-work. The initiatives taken by WAC in enhancing the training status and op orientation of the RPA fleet and Garuds in WAC have been approved as benchmarks for training in IAF. Through his keen operational orientation, the officer reformatted the conduct of Eklavya with near-realistic op settings. He was involved in planning and conduct of various trials undertaken to enhance the op-employment of our combat assets. The highly professional and safe conduct of the Air Force Day Fly-past in 2013, 2014 and the Republic Day Fly-past in 2014, in-spite of unusually inclement weather conditions is a testimony to the officer's decision making capabilities and professionalism. The officer planned and oversaw the safe conduct of more than 30 fighter dets and eight RPA dets during the period involving co-ordination with diverse agencies and at times deployment at very short notice. The officer consistently subscribes to service norms and conducts himself in an exemplary manner. He always maintains service interests uppermost and constantly strives to improve the functioning efficiency of the organization. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Hilal Ahmad Rather, VM. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | R Ravishankar 20152 F(P) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain R Ravishankar (20152) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a pilot in flying branch on 14 Jun 1989. During these 26 years of service, the officer has more than 3500h of flying experience on Chetak, Mi-8,Mi-17 and Mi-17 1V helicopters. He has held varied appointments including Director (GW), DASI, Commanding Officer of a Missile Sqn and as Joint Director (Plans). In addition he also functioned as Senior Air Safety & Inspection Officer (SASIO) of a frontline helicopter base. The officer has undergone the prestigious Defence Services Staff Course in 2000-01 and Higher Defence Management Course in 2012-13. He was also selected for the distinguished UN Peace Keeping Force to represent IAF on deputation to Democratic Republic of Congo during 2009-10. The officer is presently Commanding an Air Force Station since 21 June 2013. As Station Commander, the officer dedicatedly worked towards bringing about multifarious improvements in the core activities of the unit and has ensured a high state of operational readiness since Apr 2014. In order to optimally utilise all the op assets in his AOR, he undertook extensive reconnaissance in the sector which resulted in diligent deployment of all sensors at forward locations. Due to his meticulous attention to detail and involvement, projects worth 1647 lakhs were cleared for smooth induction of many Missile systems within a span of 16 months. He formed separate teams to interact with officials of DFO and DEO for speedy clearance of more than 700 trees to enable commencement of construction of op infrastructure for these systems. In Dec 13, resurfacing of sparingly used helipad was undertaken and it was extended to 700 ft x 150 ft to accommodate larger helicopters for conduct of Night Vision Goggle (NVG) operations. The tasks undertaken by the Station in timely implementation of various communication projects, innovation towards man power reduction in mundane tasks and improvement of overall quality of life, is an achievement for any Station. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain R Ravishankar. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Bijan Kumar Panda 20349 AE(L) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Bijan Kumar Panda (20349) was commissioned in Indian Air Force as an engineer in the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) branch on 04 Sep 1989. He has so far held various appointments like Flight commander of a Pechora flight, Officer- in - charge of Mirage EW systems, Joint Director (System/Network administration) in Defence Image Processing and Analysis Centre (DIPAC),OIC Project Defence Satellite Control Centre (DSCC), JD Sigs (Air/Tropo) and D Sigs (Maint) at Air HQs. The officer was actively involved with Indian Satellite Research Organisation (ISRO) as the team leader for establishment of Defence Satellite Control Centre (DSCC). Subsequently as Joint Director Sigs (Air/Tropo), he played a critical role in spectrum management, formulation of Defence Spectrum Band and harmonisation of Tropo Spectrum with Department of Telecommunication. For his outstanding performance and distinguished service he was commended by Chief of Air Staff in 2007 and by Chief of Integrated Defence Staff in 2009. He took over the command of Air Force Station Bhowali on 09 Jun 14, since then he has taken keen interest on maintenance and revival of legacy Tropo system. Due to his tireless effort and personal involvement, this vintage system has achieved an enviable serviceability state since. His involvement in improving the qualiry of lifestyle of his unit personnel is' praiseworthy. There has been all round visible improvement in the station under his command. He has taken personal interest in improving environmental issues by addressing the waste disposal effectively. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Bijan Kumar Panda. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Satinder Singh Rehal 20862 AE(L) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Satinder Singh Rehal (20862) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an engineer in the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) branch in Sep 1990. He is a post graduate from lIT Delhi and an alumnus of DSSC. He has held important appointments including Senior Engineering Officer of a Jaguar Squadron, Group Director in Project Monitoring Team for the induction of Light Combat Aircraft and Senior Engineer at frontline IAF bases. For his meritorious service, he has been commended by Chief of Air Staff in 1999 and AOC-in-C Western Air Command in 2006. Group Captain Satinder Singh Rehal has been the Chief Engineering Officer at a premier base since May 2013. To support the extensive flying undertaken by the base and to improve the capability of the fighter squadrons, his major thrust has been on reducing the number of aircraft on ground. He has taken a number of initiatives that have energized the maintenance setup towards innovation and self help. Design of Lefa Cable tester for IAF, Weapon Loading Trolley for Jaguar and redesigned Integrated Pechora Combat Simulator have not only improved maintenance efficiency but also galvanized personnel towards seeking indigenous solutions. His drive towards shedding obsolete and surplus inventory has led to successful evacuation of salvage six times in last two years accruing Rs 1.77 crores to the exchequer. In the process of improving the quality of maintenance and capability of technical personnel, he placed added emphasis in reorganization of training schedules and daily maintenance guidelines. In the last six months itself this initiative has resulted in ISO Certification for Base Logistics Section, upgradation of category of ten maintenance officers and successful conduct of major workshops on Jaguar, Adour Engine and Electronic Warfare Systems. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Satinder Singh Rehal. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Sameer Madhukar Kalode 20968 AE(L) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Sameer Madhukar Kalode (20968) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an engineer in the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) branch on 09 Sep 89. In his career spanning 25 years he has been the Senior Engineering Officer of a prestigious IL-76 squadron and has flown over 2000 hrs as Flight Signaller in IL-76/78 aircraft. He was trained abroad on IL-78MKIaircraft and achieved the distinction of being both a Cat-A Fit Sig as well as an Aircrew Examination Board Examiner. He has participated in exercises at Alaska in 2002, USA & South Africa in 2004. As SE(L) at Air Force Stn Bhuj, he was instrumental in successful conduct of Presidential Colour Presentation in 2007. He has undergone the prestigious Technical Staff Officers Course in 2009 stood first in order of merit. As Director in the Personnel Branch from 2009-13, he was responsible for HR and career planning of 2800 officers of AE(L) branch. In his present engagement as Chief Engineering Officer he has displayed extraordinary skills in fleet management wherein the three different aircraft fleets flew more than 15000 hours in last two years, thus maximizing the op potential of the base. He has organized activities of high complexity that included recovery of three AN32 ac and one IL76 on AOG. Under his guidance the base carried out the first three 900h servicings on IL76 ac and 1800h servicing on AN32 and AOG build up of a Mi-26. In addition, with his foresight and vision he set up a Maintenance Assistance Centre, wherein, 56 outstation ac were rectified/serviced at Chandigarh/ Srinagar/ Avantipur during Op Megh Rahat. All activities were aimed towards self sustenance to achieve the organization's drive towards "Year of Wherewithal". This resulted in Award of the "Best in Maintenance" award to the Station in 2014-15. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Sameer Madhukar Kalode. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Krishnaswamy Premkumar 21241 F(P) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Krishnaswamy Premkumar, VM (21241) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a pilot in the flying branch on 15 Jun 1991. He is a Qualified Flying Instructor, Instrument Rating Instructor and Examiner, Alumni and Directing Staff of the Defence Services Staff College. The officer has flown over 4000 hours on various aircraft. He has held important command and staff appointments including command of a fighter squadron and Station Commander of an Air Defence Direction Centre. He is presently posted as the Defence Adviser at Abu Dhabi, UAE. As the first Defence Advisor at Abu Dhabi, the officer was responsible for establishing the Defence Wing in UAE. This he did in the shortest time with limited staff and resources. In the last two years, the officer has displayed exemplary skill at enhancing defence cooperation with various military and government organizations of the host country. This was amply evident by the successful conduct of numerous high level visits, interactions and staging of air and naval assets through UAE, often overlapping with each other. The officer, as a leader, possesses remarkable man management and networking skills. These came to the fore during the Yemen crisis in March 2015. Single handedly, the officer managed the task of air evacuation of more than 4000 Indian nationals. In doing so, he had the task of coordinating air effort, locating Indian spread through the length and breadth of Yemen, getting them safely to the airport, motivating inexperienced staff and subordinates, all the while working in an unfamiliar environment. Destitute nationals and vulnerable groups like hospital nurses were evacuated safely only due to the management skills and leadership displayed by the officer. For exemplary professionalism, dedication to duty, exceptional leadership in a crisis situation and distinguished service of a high order Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Krishnaswamy Premkumar, VM. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Shailesh Ranjan 21254 F(P) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Shailesh Ranjan (21254) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a pilot in the flying branch on 30 Jun 1991.He has held the important appointments of Commanding Officer of a Akash Missile Sqn and Flight Commander of a Fighter Squadron. Presently, he is posted as Station Commander, of a premier Air Defence Direction Centre. In the arena of operations, under his guidance and leadership, a host of initiatives were taken to improve the overall op preparedness and op potential, such as renovation and re-organisation of ops room, automatic contingency lists, and integrated radar IRT recording for de-briefs and streaming of sensor pictures. Regular conduct of training capsules and continuous study of the adversary were two of his KRAs. The concerted efforts, personal involvement, stress on spare management and focused approach towards correct maintenance practices espoused by him resulted in a high operational availability of the unit sensors in last two years. Group Captain Shailesh Ranjan uplifted the morale of one and all by instilling a feeling of team spirit amongst the personnel of the station. With his meticulous planning and involvement, the existing buildings including the auditorium got a facelift due to renovation. Gp Capt S Ranjan planned various important infrastructure upgradation essentially required by the Station. With the futuristic vision and foresight Gp Capt S Ranjan could work out to get additional water from a nearby Dam. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Shailesh Ranjan. . | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Rajesh Joshi 21502 F(P) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Rajesh Joshi (21502) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a pilot in the flying branch on 14 Dec 1991 and has 2400 hours of flying experience on various aircraft. He is a Qualified Flying Instructor and a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College. He has commanded a Pechora Squadron and has held the appointments JD Ops(lEW) and Director Flying Exercises at Air HQ. He was awarded an Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Commendation on 26 Jan 97 and Chief of the Air Staff Commendation on 08 Oct 2008. As Director Flying Exercises at Air HQ, he was instrumental in conduct of Exercise Live Wire after a gap of five years. His vision and foresight was also visible as head of the team for deployment of Indian Air Force Mission Planning and Collaboration Tool (IMPACT) which is deployed as a major tool in conducting flying exercises for the entire IAF. As Chief Operations Officer at a premier fighter base, his in depth knowledge of operations ensured simultaneous operation of main and standby Terminal Weapon Control Centre, fabrication of rescue ladder for SU-30 locally and modification of Blast Pens. His proactive approach and innovativeness resulted in a high degree of operational orientation of the Station which was graded Average Plus by Directorate of Air Staff Inspection and appreciated by various dignitaries from Air HQs and Command HQs. His operational orientation and attention to details ensured simultaneous winter outstation detachment of four squadrons during which a large quantum of accident free flying was undertaken at base. The officer promptly attained his 'Ops Day' status on MiG-21 (T-96) and regularly flies as Supervisor which has immensely benefitted Op training and up gradation of pilots of local fighter squadron. The careful planning and distribution of Annual Training Grant under his directions has significantly improved the training infrastructure at the station. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Rajesh Joshi. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Maluk Singh 21528 F(P) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Maluk Singh (21528) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a pilot in the flying branch on 14 Dec 1991. He is a qualified 'Fighter Strike Leader'. He is a graduate from the Defence Services Staff College, and College of Air Warfare. He has a total of 2700 hours of flying to his credit on frontline fighter aircraft including the Mig-21, Bison and Jaguar. He has been commended by the AOC-in-C in 2003. Presently, he is posted as Director at the Directorate of Air Staff Inspections (DASI). He has held the appointment of Commanding Officer (CO) of a premier Jaguar Squadron (Sqn). During his tenure as CO, the Sqn won the gunnery meet trophy in Exercise (Ex) Eklavya, flew more than 5000 Hrs and maintained an envious aerospace safety record. He has also been DS at the prestigious 'TACDE' where he was deeply involved in the formulation of important tactics and SOPs for conduct of international exercises that showcased the combat potential of IAF. He was also member of the Indian contingent that for the first time ferried fighter ac intercontinental and participated in Ex Cope Thunder in Alaska. In the present tenure as Director at DASI, the officer has ensured highest quality of inspections, focusing on core issues concerning operations and training utilizing his exceptional professional knowledge, experience and keen sense of observation. He was the key figure in planning and coordinating Umpiring activities in Exercise Livewire 2013. The officer's tireless efforts also enabled to shape Audit on Airborne Weapons conducted by the Directorate (Dte). The officer also took on the responsibility of designing the Directorate's website thereby utilising his innate IT skills. His professional credentials were effectively utilised in the recently concluded "Table Top Workshop", an Air Force level war game conducted by DASI. His focused approach and relentless efforts with total involvement contributed immensely in making the exercise meaningful, thus highlighting the officer's exceptional strength of character and unflinching sense of purpose. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Maluk Singh. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Ajveer Singh Minhas 22126 F(P) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Ajveer Singh Minhas (22126) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a pilot in flying branch on 19Dec 92. He is a Qualified Flying Instructor and Instrument Rating Instructor and Examiner. He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College and Army War College. He has flown variants of the MiG-21 aircraft and MiG-27 ML aircraft and has over 3100 hours of accident free flying to his credit. He has commanded a fighter Sqn and held important staff appointments at Air HQs in the Ops Branch. The officer is now posted as Chief Operations Officer of a large fighter base. During the last ten months, since he has taken over as the COO of this busy and hectic base, he has contributed immensely in enhancing operational efficiency of the station. He was actively involved in successful hosting of two large scale flying exercises at this base. The first was bilateral Indo - French flying exercise Garuda V, and the second being the pan-Air Force EW workshop, wherein large number of aircraft from eight different Sqns operated from the base. During the exercise, he was actively involved in the formulation of new SOPs and instructions on ECM/ECCM for the IAF.A large number of outstation commitments were under taken by the base despite many constraints. The officer with his meticulous planning, keen initiative and thorough involvement ensured safe operations and all these commitments were undertaken without any compromise on the routine tasking of the local units. His undaunted involvement in fulfilling demanding tasks and simultaneously achieving the routine Op requirements of the large number of combat units is worth a mention. In a short span of two months after taking over, the officer contributed immensely to enhance the Op capability of the base. The station was assessed 'High Average' in Ops by DASI and was adjudged as the best operational station of SWAC for the year 2014. He also played a pivotal role in the Presidential Standards Parade (PSP) hosted by the station in the month of Mar 2015. Apart from the Presidential Parade that he supervised, being second in command in the station, he was also actively involved in all the other events held towards the PSP. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Ajveer Singh Minhas. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Vaibhav Dutt Badoni 22738 F(P) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Vaibhav Dutt Badoni (22738) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a pilot in the flying branch on 18 Dec 1993. He is a Qualified Flying Instructor and has a total of 4500 hours of accident! incident free flying on MI-8,Chetak, Cheetah and MI-35 helicopters. He served as the Flight Commander of a Cheetah unit in Op Meghdoot and a MI-35 squadron in Punjab sector. He Commanded a Mi-35 Sqn and is presently posted on staff at Advance HQ of a large Command HQ. Group Captain Badoni is an alumnus of the Defence services Staff College who was instrumental in re-raising and commanding a front line Attack Helicopter Squadron. While leading from the front, the squadron flew a large quantum of accident free flying and participated in twenty five exercises with the Indian Army. The squadron was subsequently adjudged as the best helicopter unit of the Command. With his professional acumen and flawless planning, he led the MI-35 formation during consecutive Air Force Day Parade Fly-pasts in 2010, 2011 and Vayu Shakti 2010. At the Advance HQ, the officer was singularly responsible for orchestrating of the AFNET project in absence of a technical officer in the newly established unit. He was also instrumental in setting up of Joint Army Air Operational Center and state of the art Advance HQs Briefing Room which resulted in active monitoring and meaningful conduct of Joint Operations. With a plethora of experience in conduct of Land-Air campaign, he drafted the Joint Operations Doctrine and constantly strived towards better integration and streamlined joint operations .. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Vaibhav Dutt Badoni. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Anand Sondhi 22916 F(P) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Anand Sondhi (22916) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a pilot in the flying branch on 18 Jun 94 and is presently posted as Director of Personnel(Officer)- 5 at Air HQ. He is a Cat A Flying Instructor and an Air Force Examiner. He is qualified on the jaguar and Mig-29 aircraft with over 3300 hours of flying experience. In his 21 years of service, he has served in many operational units and commanded a frontline fighter Squadron. He has also served as the Staff Officer to CAS prior to the current assignment. During his tenure as a CO the officer proved his mettle as a transformational leader. Under his leadership the Squadron sustained very high professional standards and flew 4600 hrs of accident free flying. His professional acumen played a pivotal role in the Squadron winning Command EkIavya Trophy both in 2011 and 2012. He led the Squadron from the front during multiple detachments in the J&K valley and undertook day and night operations, including heavy armament missions from that base during many exercises. His personal competency and skill came to the fore on multiple occasions including the conduct of a precise fighter fly-past on Air Force Day in 2011 and 2012 flawless conduct of the Squadron's Diamond jubilee celebrations in Dec 2011. Constant focus and personal involvement on his part allowed sustenance of high serviceability and consequent accomplishment of numerous operational milestones. As a staff officer, he has excelled in all assigned tasks within a short span. These included the onerous responsibility of preparing daily media and op briefs, drafting speeches, messages and important correspondence addressed to the National Leadership, Service Chiefs and heads of foreign Air Forces. In his current assignment he has shown tremendous resolve in formulating holistic and comprehensive HRPs after incorporating feedback received from the environment. In spite of no previous experience, he has played a central role in setting up of Legal Cell and has made a stellar contribution in handling of ongoing court cases and associated legal issues. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Anand Sondhi. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Wg Cdr | Abhijit Prakash Deshpande 24218 F(P) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Wing Commander Abhijit Prakash Deshpande (24218) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a pilot in the flying branch on 21 Dec 1996. He is a Qualified Flying Instructor and a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College. He has more than 3300 hrs of flying various helicopters in the IAF's inventory. He is presently commanding a Helicopter Unit in the North Eastern Sector. As Commanding Officer, with his vision and foresight, he has brought about tremendous all round changes in the functioning of his Unit. Backed by sound professional knowledge and experience he has not only enhanced the operational potential of his Unit but also instilled pride and confidence in the men he Commands. His thorough involvement and attention to detail in planning and execution of tasks related to President's Standard Presentation (PSP) was highly appreciated. His steadfastness and commitment to task was evident when, in spite of personal tragedy during the PSP, he ensured that all events went through as planned. Under his command and guidance, the Unit maintains a high serviceability state of its helicopters and has achieved 100%serviceability on many occasions. For good overall performance in all spheres of activities, his Unit was adjudged the best Helicopter Unit of the Command in 2014. The officer has diligently involved himself in the ongoing ALH Mk III project works and the impending induction of the modem platform. His foresight and thorough involvement has ensured quality completion of ongoing work services for the induction and timely conversion training of Aircrew and Ground Crew. Under his vibrant leadership, the Unit has achieved all allotted tasks in a befitting manner, with exceptional regard to safety. He has great concern for the well being of air warriors and has utilised various innovative methods to generate a sense of belonging and camaraderie amongst all personnel. His unconditional involvement, devotion to duty and the highest norms of interpersonal relations have significantly enhanced the happiness quotient of air warriors of the Unit and thereby, ensured a positive and professional work environment. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Wing Commander Abhijit Prakash Deshpande. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Wg Cdr | Mudit Mathur 24573 ADM | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Wing Commander Mudit Mathur (24573) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in Administrative branch on 21 Jun 1997. He is presently posted as the Joint Director (Image Analysis) at the Directorate of Intelligence, Air HQ (VB) after his tenure as spacecraft controller at the Satellite Control Centre (DSCC). The Officer is the sole architect and developer of the Image Intelligence Management System (IlMS) , which today is the backbone for IMINT (Image Intelligence) management and dissemination in the IAF. The system has been- further redesigned and upgraded with the latest technology and a high degree of integration with the plethora of sensors. This has propelled the IAF as a leader in the field. He has been associated with two spacecraft missions from inception to full operational status and is actively involved in formulating future IAF IMINT/Spacecraft requirements. The efforts of Wing Commander Mudit Mathur have enhanced the image intelligence capability of the IAF and set a benchmark for other intelligence agencies to follow. His untiring efforts to improve digital photogrammetric capabilities and the consequent improvement of target information have a direct bearing on maximizing the potential offered by precision weapon systems. His efforts have laid a strong foundation for indigenous development processes in the field of remote sensing and applications. His exemplary performance, dedication and untiring efforts in the field of image intelligence is commendable and par comparison. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Wing Commander Mudit Mathur. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Wg Cdr | J Angel Reuben 24808 AE(L) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 16 | Announced 26 Jan 16 | |
| Details : |  Wing Commander J Angel Reuben (24808) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an engineer in the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) branch on 24 Nov 97 and is presently working as Joint Director Operations (Information Warfare) at Air Headquarters since 24 Apr 1l. He has held important appointments like System Administrator at an Air Force Station, Command Information Technology Officer (CITO),IT Advisor to Botswana Defence Force, Project Officer - Campus Area Network (CAN) at Directorate of Information Technology (DIT) etc. While posted at HQ MC, he conceived and implemented automation of mail delivery to desktop PCs that brought down the manning requirement from 75 to 15 air warriors at the tele-printer cabin. He, while on deputation to Botswana Defence Force successfully made non-functional ERP software functional at their workshop. He was instrumental in speedy implementation of CAN through planning and innovative field trials while at DIT. He was commended by AOC-in- C, MC for his ingenuity in maintaining high serviceability of IMMOLS network by retrieving salvaged network components. He is a Certified Forensics Investigator, Globally Certified Incident Handler and Forensics Analyst. During his present tenure, the officer has designed and implemented a system for round the clock monitoring for detection of cyber breaches. He has been instrumental in plugging numerous cyber security loopholes. He has aided· other government agencies in successfully resolving a number of cases relating to cyber security. The officer with his domain knowledge, has been able to identify malware and has shared this knowledge with other government organizations, thus contributing towards improving the national cyber security posture. The officer has also involved in security evaluation of new software and hardware inductions in the IAF and has identified and helped mitigate security vulnerabilities. The Officer is an epitome of dedication, involvement, and creative thinking. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Wing Commander J Angel Reuben. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
The Awards Database presented here was made possible by the kind generosity of Air Marshal Bharat Kumar, author of Courage & Devotion to Duty : A Chronicle of IAF's Honours and Awards (1932-2008). Air Marshal Bharat Kumar had very graciously given permission to reproduce the citations from the book on this website.
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Note: All the data available here is publicly available in the Gazette of India, published by the Indian Government, or from public domain sources, press releases about Awards and Right-To-Information (RTI) Requests. Additionally data shared by veterans is added to the page with permission. No data with respect to serving officers below the rank of AVM is displayed. Information in Gazette of India and Award citations and photographs as released by the Indian Air Force are the only details displayed.