Group Captain Vinay Kaushal (14063) Accounts was commissioned in the Accounts Branch of the IAF on 11 Jul 1975. He has held varied appointments in fields, staff and training formations in his service career where he has made substantial contribution in enhancing the level of services provided and changing the procedures through innovative methods to bring about improvement, efficiency and saving in costs/efforts. He was commended by the AOC-in-C, Eastern Air Command in 1991 and by the CAS in 1998. In 1985, Gp Capt Kaushal was posted to AFCAO in the officers' Pay Wing where he carried out the task of transfer of pension responsibility from CDA Pension Allahabad to DCDA, New Delhi and set systems in place to ensure timely finalisation of noneffective accounts. After managing this major transition, he was posted to Dte of Accounts at Air HQ wherein he introduced major changes in the existing procedures of payment of local allowances to Airmen/NCs (E) resulting in recurring annual saving of approx 46 Lakh man-hours utilised in actioning of documents and time taken in pay parades. In 1992, he was selected and posted to AFAC, Coimbatore as a Directing Staff to revive the Advance Accounts Faculty after a gap of 11 years. In a short span of three months, the lesson plans and the exercises were designed to bring about a paradigm shift in the methodology, coverage of the syllabus and conduct of courses.

As DDCA to Dte of Fin Plg at Air HQ during 1994-99, he undertook the major responsibility to revise pricing policy for goods & services ex-HAL. Through extensive interaction with HAL and personal efforts, he ensured the implementation of the revised pricing policy, establishment of new procedures and the funding arrangements from IAF. This had brought in substantial savings to AF budget due to the right price being fixed for various products and services of HAL. As Director Cost Analysis at Air HQ in 2003, he took up the task of base year price revision of HAL products, which was long overdue and completed it much to the admiration of HAL and MoD officials. Due to his efforts, the credit of Rs 1301 Crs due from HAL on account of interest and Rs l70 Crs on Exchange Rate Variation to IAF was also accomplished during the current year. It was due to his personal involvement, perseverance that the long pending vexed problem of 'Warranty Clause' for supply of goods and services of HAL was introduced.

For distinguished services of a high order, the Hon'ble President is pleased to award 'Vishisht Seva Medal' to Group Captain Vinay Kaushal.