Air Vice Marshal Chandramowleswaran was commissioned in the Air Force in the Technical Signals Branch, now Aeronautical Engineering Electronics in 1950. He proved an asset in the various appointments he held in the units/ Commands and in organisations outside Air Force. A competent Technical Officer and a versatile field Engineer, he excelled particularly in Installation and System Engineering activities. While in the Maintenance Command as Incharge of the repair and overhaul aspects of communication and radar equipment, he established, with his experience and deep understanding of the field conditions, a sound system for ensuring serviceability and base support facilities for Navigation and Radar aids, operating in different sectors of the country. Early in 1966, he was entrusted with the task of installing certain complex communication and electronic equipment. Neither the installation techniques nor the training facilities were available for these equipment. Undeterred by the formidable problems posed by the task, he took up the challenge and with single minded devotion, successfully installed the equipment on schedule.

In 1971, he was specially selected to join the Radar and Communication Project Organisation, a system Engineering Group, and entrusted with the responsibility of planning, installation and commissioning of reliable and secure tropo/Line of Sight Communication and Radio facilities in the Air Defence Ground Environment System. He was able to complete the task of site survey and system engineering of far flung remote and inaccessible mountainous areas of the country in the time schedule. Similarly in the selection installation and commissioning of High Power Radars and associated peripherals, he effectively, organi­zed the installation and maintenance teams to undertake the activities in the field. His selfless devotion to duty earned him the admiration and affection of the officers and staff who worked with him.

Air Vice Marshal Chandramowleswaran has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Errasseri Pathayapurayil Radhakrishnan Nair joined the Air Force in 1950. He has an excellent record of over 4,500 flying hours, has been an examiner on Super Constellation aircraft and a QNI with an 'A­2' Instructor's category. He was also given an 'A' Transport category, the highest flying proficiency award obtainable. In AVSM 1978 1970, when the Air Force Academy was being built and the personnel were still living under canvas, he was selected to be the Base Commander and made directly responsible for the administration of the Station and also for the rapid build­up of the technical and other facilities by the target date set for the inauguration of the Academy by the President. He accomplished the task by the target date. Subsequently, he was appointed Senior Air Staff Officer of Headquarters Maritime Air Operations at a time when the formation was entrusted with important responsibility of Air operations in support of the ONGC. The Standard Operating Procedure worked out during his tenure and the overall supervision exercised by his formation resulted in the successful accomplishment of every ONGC task. The excellent flight safety record achieved by the Helicopter unit also contributed towards this accomplishment. In December, 1975, on completion of the National Defence College Course, he was appointed as the Senior Air and Administrative Staff Officer, Headquarters Maintenance Command. Inspite of various handicaps, Air Commodore Nair, by effective man management and by personal example, soon created in his staff a devoted and highly motivated team. His tremendous capacity for sustained work and ability to establish harmonious and effective relationship with both superiors and subordinates, brought about remarkable improvements in the functioning of the Stations of Maintenance Command in practically every field of activity within his responsibility. As a result the offence rate in the Command has dropped sharply. His most remarkable achievement is in the field of flight safety where, as Senior Air and Administrative Staff Officer, he has direct responsibility. Here the total accident rate (for 10,000 hrs) dropped from about 41 in 1975 to 22.5 in 1976 which is an outstanding achievement by any standard.

Air Commodore Erasseri Pathayapurayil Radhakrishnan Nair has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Hari Vinayak Phatak was commissioned in the Administrative Branch of the Air Force in 1942. After distinguishing himself in varied assignments in administrative fields, he was given the command of an Equipment Depot in August, 1974, where he excelled in all aspects of command and control. At the time of his assuming command of the Depot, the market conditions in the country were very unstable as a result of which normal supply of many items through the DGS&D was greatly dislocated. In particular, the procurement of clothing items was of major importance for that Equipment Dept. He launched a major programme of large scale local purchases of essential items. During his tenure, the purchases which were barely Rs. 7 lakhs in 1973-74 reached and all time record of Rs. 36 lakhs in 1975 -76. As a result, the supply position improved radically. This achievement was commended by the Chief of the Air Staff and the Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief of the various Commands at the Commanders Conference held in December, 1976. Reduction in the number of Discrepancy Reports concerning clothing items was another major task which he implemented. By formulating and introducing a series of new measures and personally monitoring their implementation, the number of incoming Discrepancy Report dropped from 243 in 1974-75 to 82 in 1976. In Command of Air Force Station, Avadi, the production at one of its lodger units under his supervision and guidance, improved radically and for the first time the unit was able to fully accomplish its allotted task. In the process, nearly Rs. 4 lakhs worth of spares lying idle and considered obsolete, were also utilised. During his tenure as Station Commander, he achieved a remarkable degree of improvement in prac­tically all spheres of the Depot's activities. The standard of discipline amongst both service and civilians personnel was also exemplary and it was largely as a result of his efforts that the Station won the award of the Best Administered formation in Maintenance Command.

Air Commodore Hari Vinayak Phatak has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Brijpal Singh Sikand assumed command of a fighter Wing of the Air Force in February, 1976. Since then he has devoted himself towards improving the operational and the administrative potential of his station. He observed that children of all ranks were facing hardship in getting admission and commuting to schools in the nearby townships. He solved this problem by setting up an Air Force School at the Wing in record time, where today 800 children are studying. As a welfare measure, he founded another school at his station where children of poor parents are provided totally free education including books, uniforms and free mid-day meals. In November, 1976, his station was entrusted with the task of organising a President's Colour Presentation Ceremony to three Air Force Squadrons. For this parade, the station had to absorb an additional 1000 men and 100 officers. He personally supervised each and every detail of this prestigious parade which was most impressive and flawlessly conducted. In the field of operations, he introduced night flying at his base and enabled the Squadrons located at the Wing to enhance their operational status. During 1976, his Squadrons flew a total of 4500 hours with only one accident. He also set up the Ground Examining Board and Mobile Conversion Flight for aircraft at his base without any additional assistance whatsoever. This station was also entrusted with a task of carrying out retromod on all aircraft on a type in Western Air Command. It was due to his great organisational ability and his professional direction that this task was accomplished in record time without a single mishap. He has been on field appointments for the last nine years and during this period, he has commanded two Stations, one Squadron and one Tactical Air Centre. He is an active and able fighter pilot.

Air Commodore Brijpal Singh Sikand has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Jayaram Nilkanth Jatar was in command of a Fighter Wing of the Air Force which has heavy flying activity throughout the year. From the day of assuming command, he devoted himself to the work of enhancing the operational potential of his base. During his tenure, a new Weapon was introduced whose lethality necessitated the defining of operating methods for causing the maximum damage to an enemy, without compromising the safety of our own forces. He examined all the intricacies of the problem and was solely responsible for the formulation of an operating procedure for the employment of this new Weapons System which has now been accepted as a Standard Operating Procedure. He also readjusted the available resources and fabricated a fail safe MF communication system. This facility provides a standby method to cater for the worst case of total failure of other communications.

Environmental peculiarities of his base required time control over Technical and Flying activities for safe flying. He adhered to and achieved the highest, standards of flying and maintenance discipline. His dedicated involvement has enhanced safety consciousness in Air and Ground Crew which has led to an effective flight safety programme, reduction in the rate of accidents and in avoidance of wastage of valuable fighting equipment. He was also able to achieve a formidable flying task of 8993 hours on fighters without a single accident. It is to his great credit that he reduced the station accident rate from 15 to zero.

Air Commodore Jayaram Nilkanth Jatar has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Group Captain Prithi Singh is Commanding a major fighter base of the Air Force since 16th July, 1976. A highly qualified test pilot, he has wide experience on seventy types of aircraft and has made a significant contribution to the production testing of aircraft and various important flight evaluation trials for the Indian Air Force. He has flown 4383 hours without a single avoidable accident. He has set a high standard of flying and has given a lead to his subordinates by his personal example. In addition to the control of the aircraft based at his Wing he is responsible for coordinating the Armament Training of most of the Squadrons in Western Air Command. He has carried out both these tasks in an exemplary manner and has consistently achieved the highest standards in both the fields. Simultaneously, he has personally conducted flight trials of indigenously manufactured equipment fitted on various aircraft which has contributed to our operational potential.

While he was in command of the base, a few of our other airfields were closed for repairs. This entailed the induction of an additional force at his base which accentuated the problem of maintaining a close control over their movements. He reorganised his navigational and other aids and ensured the smooth conduct of the heavy flying activity. During the same period, he also coordinated and conducted a successful fire power demonstration. His contribution in making the Flight Safety Programme at the Station extremely effective has been creditable.

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

Group Captain Dayashankar Mishra was commissioned in the Air Force in 1951. He has successfully completed a post­graduate course in aircraft design at the College of Aeronautics in the United Kingdom. During his long service, he has held important appointments of the Chief Technical Instructor at Air Force Technical College, Senior Technical Staff Officer and Chief of Aircraft Production in a Base Repair Depot with

great distinction, in recognition of which, he was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 1972. Group Captain Mishra was posted to a Base Repair Depot in April, 1974, when the Depot was at its formative stage. He competently handled all problems and completed the formation of the unit in a smooth and efficient manner, enabling the Base Repair Depot to undertake the major servicing of modern fighter aircraft by April, 1975. The stipulated task for major servicing of aircraft for the year 1976-77 increased one and a half times to operational necessity. This called for not only revised planning on the utilisation of resources and manpower but more hours of extra work on the part of everyone concerned. Due to his professional competence and ingenious management of men and resources, the Base Repair Depot achieved, in full, the revised production target assigned to it. The Depot also won the coveted Annual Trophy for the Best Base Repair Depot in Maintenance Command.

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

Sergeant Venkata Ramiah Kantheti has been on the posted strength of a Fighter Wing of the Air Force, operating high performance aircraft including a type training squadron, since 15th January, 1975. Besides his section duties, he was employed as runway controller wherein he amply displayed his exceptionally keen observation, alertness, clear understanding AVSM 1978-79 of situation and dedication. By giving timely warning to pilots and the controllers, Sergeant Venkata Ramiah Kantheti helped in averting many untoward situations.

On 8th August 1975, he noticed that the flaps of an aircraft had not been lowered for landing. His prompt and timely action thus averted a flapless landing. On 28th August, 1975, when an aircraft lowered flaps for take off, he informed the pilot that a metal strip was hanging from the flap region and sent him back to dispersal as it would have fouled the flaps during its upward travel after take off. On 11th September, 1975, he prevented a dangerous situation when during the engine run up at the Take Off point, an aircraft was seen emitting smoke. He asked the pilot to switch off the engine and promptly dispatched the crash tender to handle the situation. On 7th February, 1976, he saw an aircraft approaching for landing without flaps and his timely report on Radio Telephone helped the pilot in taking the correct action. On 26th June 1976, when an aircraft was unsticking, he noticed tyre tread pieces flying off from the aircraft and ensured the safety of the aircraft by promptly informing the pilot on Radio Telephone to take correct action. On 26th September, 1976, he averted an accident by disallowing an aircraft to take off when he noticed that one of the four airbrakes was sticking out. Again, on 26th November, 1976, he averted a similar accident to another aircraft.

In his daily duties Sergeant Kantheri has displayed a high sense of responsibility, exceptional devotion to duty and professional skill. His vigilance as runway controller has greatly contributed in eliminating the bird strike accidents on his base.

Sergeant Venkata Ramiah Kantheti has thus rendered distinguished services of an exceptional order.