Air Commodore Maheshwar Das Khanna was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in 1943. During most of his Service career he has been employed on fighter pilot duties and has carried out approximately 3500 hours of accident free fighter flying. He took part in the operations in Burma during World War II and also participated in Jammu and Kashmir Operations, 1947-48, Goa Operations in 1961, and the India-Pakistan conflict of 1965. He has held important flying and staff appointments directly connected with the operations. After taking over the Command of a Wing, he built up the operational capabilities and flying qualities of all Units based at this Wing within a remarkably short period. In addition to his normal duties, he was instrumental in training 60 extra pilots, both in Mystere and Gnat aircraft, to fully operational status. Throughout, Air Commodore Maheshwar Das Khanna displayed professional skill and organising ability.

Group Captain Hemant Rama Krishna Chitnis was one of the few instructors to qualify from the United Kingdom and to hold an Instructor's appointment in the Flying Instructors' School. He has over 3,500 hours of accident free flying record, of which about half is on instructional flying duties. As a Squadron Commander, he not only ensured conversion of his Squadron to Hunter aircraft, but also made it achieve high operational efficiency in a short time, Subsequently, with praiseworthy initiative, drive and organizing ability, he successfully executed the task of raising a fighter-bomber wing in the Eastern Sector.

Throughout, Group Captain Hemant Rama Krishna Chitnis displayed initiative, organising ability and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Group Captain (then Wing Commander) Jagdish Behari Lai commanded a Transport and M/R Squadron for nearly 3 years and throughout this period maintained the highest transport category and instrument rating. In spite of his multifarious duties of a Squadron Commander, he flew a total of over 800 hours on Super-Constellation aircraft. It was during his tenure that the Super­Constellation aircraft was modified for M/R role and it was under his direction that intensive trials were carried out and the aircraft quickly made operational in the new role. He ensured that every M/R and A.S.S.R. task entrusted to the Squadron was fully met. The manner in which various commitments were fulfilled by the Squadron under Wing Commander Lal's able leadership earned appreciation from all concerned.

Throughout, Group Captain Jagdish Behari Lal displayed professional skill, resourcefulness and leadership.

Group Captain Saroj Jena commanded the I.A.F. Canberra Detachment in the Congo during April-October 1962. His Squadron rendered valuable service. He himself flew 10 sorties on reconnaissance missions. During the period December 1962 to May 1965, he commanded another Squadron. Under his able guidance the Squadron fulfilled all the tasks allotted to it creditably. Group Captain Jena took over Command of Air Force Station Palam, in January 1967 and was responsible for organising the fly-past during Republic Day 1967 and 1968. He was also responsible for the intricate flight planning, safety of aircraft and correct timings of the aircraft participating in the Air Power Demonstration held at Tilpat on 31st March 1968.

Throughout, Group Captain Saroj Jena displayed courage, leadership and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

For nearly four years Wing Commander Karan Yadav has been employed in a unit of the Air Force whose function is to examine by tests and intensive trials all practical service, and to conduct armament trials for safety of carriage, accuracy and effectiveness of the weapons system. He has completed nearly 500 hours of flying on these arduous duties. In carrying out service trials of indigenously produced Hindustan Fighter and the Kiran aircraft, he has been instrumental not only in improving the operational performance of these aircraft but also in rectifying the defects found in an aircraft in its early stages of development. He has played a significant part in the development of aeronautics industry in the country and in solving several problems associated with other aircraft in use in the service. Throughout Wing Commander Karan Yadav displayed initiative, professional skill and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Wing Commander Nirmal Chandra Suri has been commanding a fighter Squadron since August 1966. There was an operational requirement to evolve a modification for release of armament stores from the type of aircraft in his Squadron to enhance its fire power. This modification, which was a major one, was personally supervised by Wing Commander Suri. The modification has not only enhanced the fire power of the I.A.F. but also saved a large amount of foreign exchange. Wing Commander Suri has flown about 3,500 including 175 hours by night on single engine aircraft. When posted to the staff of the aircrew Examining Board for a period of 3 years, he acted as Examiner on Six different types of aircraft including Jets. During this period he flew over 600 hours for instrument rating of pilots and categorisation of the flying instructors.

Throughout, Wing Commander Nirmal Chandra Suri displayed professional skill and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

As Officer Commanding an Air Force Unit, Wing Commander Ranjit Kumar Kukar has displayed great initiative, organising ability and resourcefulness in maintaining a very high standard of serviceability of his Squadron. He has borne the responsibility of training over 100 pilots on the strength of the Squadron and at the same time has run three courier services per week. This he has ensured notwithstanding the fact that the Squadron had limited resources and had no established Station for administrative support Despite these handicaps, under his able guidance, there has been all round improvement in the operational status of the Squadron. A large number of pilots and navigators have qualified for both day and night operations including paratrooping and this has enabled the Squadron to make available a number of categorised pilots and navigators also to other Squadrons.

Throughout, Wing Commander Ranjit Kumar Kukar displayed initiative, organising ability and resourcefulness.

Wing Commander Satya Pal Varma has been serving as Officer-in-Charge Human Engineering Wing of the Air Force School of Aviation Medicine since June, 1964. Prior to joining this unit, he qualified as a pilot on jet aircraft thus contributing more effectively to his role as medical officer in the Air Force. As an Adviser on Human Engineering problems associated with the design and development of HF-24 and HJT-16 aircraft at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited at Bangalore, he contributed to the enhancement of comfort and safety in flying these aircraft. In view of his achievements in the Human Engineering field he was appointed as Human Engineering Coordinator in India of the Commonwealth Advisory Aeronautical Research Council in addition to his being a doctor and a pilot. Wing Commander Varma is a competent electronics engineer and has designed a prototype biotelemetric equipment or the physiological monitoring of pilots in flight, which has won praise from the Armed Forces Medical Research Committee.

Wing Commander Satya Pal Varma displayed resourcefulness and devotion to duly in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force

Wing Commander Suraj Prakash Dutt, as Officer Commanding of a fighter Squadron, was personally responsible for his Squadron having flown a total of 1906 hours from December 1967 to May 1968 against heavy odds and low serviceability of the aircraft of his Squadron. Despite enormous problems due to acute shortage of trained personnel and equipment, with determination and able leadership, he brought up the operational readiness of his Squadron and accomplished the difficult task of training operational aircrew to a high standard of efficiency.

Throughout, Wing Commander Suraj Prakash Dutt displayed courage, initiative and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Squadron Leader Ajit Kumar Choudhury has been serving with Fighter Training Wing since November 1965. As a Flying Instructor, he has flown a total of 2,000 hours. On 16th May 1968, he was authorised to carry out general flying and aerobatics sorties on a Vampire aircraft with a pupil pilot. At the end of the sortie after carrying out a roller take off, he heard a loud thud and noticed the R.P.M. winding down with the complete loss of power in the engine. The aircraft had gained only 300 feet of height and was flying at 170 knots. Squadron Leader Choudhury took immediate action to gain height. With exceptional skill and cool courage, he landed the aircraft safely.

Squadron Leader Joginder Paul Singh is an outstanding officer of the Transport Training Wing and has to his credit 1,670 instructional hours and 1,308 operational flying hours out of a total of 5.800 hours of accident-free flying. His contribution towards improvement in standards of instructional flying is praiseworthy.

Throughout, Squadron Leader Joginder Paul Singh displayed professional skill and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

During his eleven years of service, Squadron Leader Narayana Iyer Venkataramani has flown 5,900 hours, including 2,400 hours on instructional duties on four different types of aircraft. He has flown a total of 950 operational hours in NEFA, Nagaland and Mizo Hills. He was responsible for converting a large number of under training pilots to fully operational status capable of undertaking hazardous missions. After joining the Aircrew Examining Board as Air Force Examiner, he has been instrumental in achieving a phenomenal rise in the categorisation/instrument rating state of the Air Force. Throughout, Squadron Leader Narayana Iyer Venkataramani disp layed professional skill and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Squadron Leader Padmanabha Ashoka has been actively associated with flight test duties in a Testing Unit. He has been largely responsible for expanding the flight envelope of the HF-24 aircraft. He has also been responsible for recommending a modification for better rates of roll on this aircraft. Due to his efforts, enough information on single engine performance, radii of action in the ground attack role, thrust boundaries, techniques for aerobatic manoeuvres etc of HF-24 aircraft was gathered, thus assuring in getting the aircraft operational early.

Throughout Squadron Leader Padmanabha Ashoka displayed professional skill and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Squadron Leader Qaiser Ali during his fourteen years of service has flown a total of 3,550 hours including 1600 hours as an instructor on jet fighter and bomber aircraft. He spent four years as flight commander at a Bomber Conversion Unit and was responsible for training a large number of bomber pilots, who displayed a very high standard of professional skill during the 1965 conflict. He served as an instructor in the United Arab Republic with distinction for two years. After his posting to Aircrew Examining Board in August 1966, he has carried out the duties of aircrew instrument ratings and recategorisation tests of instructors with dedicated zeal and thoroughness. He has also been responsible for standardisation of bomber operating procedures.

Throughout, Squadron Leader Qaisar Ali has displayed professional skill and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Squadron Leader Ramesh Chandra Sondhi has been on the strength of a Squadron since November 1965 and is currently employed as a Training Officer. During this period, the operational potential of the squadron was low as experienced crew were gradually posted out. Despite this, he not only completed his own conversion in the shortest possible time but also look upon himself the challenge and worked non-stop to improve the operational potential of the squadron by imparting training of an exceptional standard. He has a total of 7,515 flying hours to his credit. Throughout he has displayed a very high standard of professional skill, perseverance and unswerving devotion to duty in the highest traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Squadron Leader Ram Kumar Sinha has served three tenures in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and NEFA. As a transport pilot, he completed over 1,000 hours of flying in fixed wing transport aircraft. During the Chinese aggression in 1962 and India-Pakistan conflict of 1965 he evacuated over 700 casualties from forward posts. For this, he made over 2,000 landings on unprepared areas In difficult terrain. He has carried out numerous proving and evaluation flights to new helipads. He has frequently been called upon to render service in aid to civil authorities. He flew many sorties carrying medical supplies and food and water for the marooned people after the cyclone at Rameshwaram and Dhanushkodi. On another occasion, disregarding his personal safety he evacuated a seriously ill mechanic of the Posts and Telegraphs Department by helicopter and thus saved his life.

Throughout, Squadron Leader Ram Kumar Sinha displayed courage and devotion to duty in the best tradition s' of the Indian Air Force.

Squadron Leader Rajendra Dev Pant is the Officer Commanding of a Helicopter Unit and has flown 1,079 operational hours on helicopters, including 450 hours in his present assignment, in the Eastern Sector, NEFA, Nagaland, Mizo Hills etc. He has evacuated over 150 casualties. On 19th July 1968, when a message was received that a very serious casualty required evacuation from a difficult helipad at high altitude, Squadron Leader Pant, despite hazardous terrain and adverse weather conditions, volunteered to undertake the evacuation. Immediately on his landing at the helipad the weather deteriorated, but Squadron Leader Pant, with his professional knowledge and courage, skillfully took off observing a little gap in the clouds, and brought back the serious casualty to the hospital and thus saved his life.

Throughout, Squadron Leader Rajendra Dev Pant displayed courage, professional skill and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Squadron Leader Satish Chander Mohan has a distinguished record in both operational and instructional flying and has a total of 5,570 flying hours to his credit, including 2,720 hours in operational areas and 1,265 hours of instructional flying. He has always volunteered for difficult tasks in adverse conditions over difficult terrain. He has throughout maintained high operational preparedness of his Squadron in all its multifarious roles by organising and carrying out training by day and night of all categories of crews.

Throughout, Squadron Leader Satish Chander Mohan displayed courage, initiative and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Squadron Leader Sadanand Kulkarni during his eleven years of service as a Navigator has flown 3,150 hours: out of which 1,320 hours are as an instructor. He holds transport category 'A' and Q.N.I. category A-1. In his Instructional tenure of four years, he has displayed instructional skill and flying standard of the highest order. He has had the distinction of passing out his pupils as best navigators in air work in three consecutive courses. As a navigator in M. R. Squadron, he flew 1,125 hours on Liberator aircraft and was responsible for training a large number ops U/T navigators into skilful and operationally sound maritime navigators, radar operators and bomb aimers.

Throughout, Squadron Leader Sadanand Kulkarni displayed professional skill and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Squadron Leader Swatantra Kumar Goel was posted to Air Headquarters Communication Squadron in December 1963 as a pilot on Dakota aircraft for carrying high dignitaries. On the introduction of HS-748 aircraft to the Unit he was among the first to qualify for carrying V.I.Ps. Subsequently, he also qualified on TU-124 aircraft. He has flown over 1,700 hours in the Squadron of which over 900 hours are on VIP flights. He has also to his credit nearly 350 hours of instructional flying. He is also the Type Examiner on HS- 748 aircraft. Throughout, Squadron Leader Swatantra Kumar Goel displayed professional skill and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Flight Lieutenant Avinash Chander Chopra has been serving with a Helicopter Unit since August 1967. During this period he has undertaken a number of rescue and casualty evacuation missions and carried out about 600 hours of operational flying. In July 1967, in adverse weather conditions, he made many sorties in search of a transport aircraft which had crashed. Finally, he succeeded in reaching the scene of the crash and located the wreckage. He took calculated risk in landing at a kutcha helipad and succeeded in evacuating the lone survivor.

Throughout Flight Lieutenant Avinash Chander Chopra displayed courage and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

On 4th January 1968, Flight Lieutenant Gurmit Singh Maan was returning from a combat training sortie in a fighter aircraft when he found his longitudinal control jammed. Repeated attempts failed to clear the restriction either in power or manual control and he was left only with the electrical trimmer. Undaunted, with excellent airmanship, he carried out a perfect landing with his control trimmer alone and thus saved a valuable aircraft. In this action, Flight Lieutenant Gurmit Singh Maan displayed courage and professional skill.

Flight Lieutenant Harold Clement Demos has been a helicopter pilot since 1963 and has flown over 900 operational hours which involved over 1,000 operational sorties in the forward areas. He has always volunteered for operational missions. He carried out supply dropping missions in Nagaland. In September 1967 when the Nanak Sagar Dam burst causing havoc to the surrounding civilian population, livestock and property, he carried out many sorties under severe and trying conditions. On another occasion, he evacuated 2 casualties at the risk of his own life from an area covered with 15 feet of snow. On 8th April 1968 when an Air Force Officer ejected from an aircraft 30 miles south east of Kanpur and was seriously injured, he disregarding his personal safety, took off from Kanpur in darkness and reached the scene of the accident, picked up the Air Force Officer and brought him safely to Kanpur airfield.

Throughout, Flight Lieutenant Harold Clement Demos displayed courage and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Flight Lieutenant Mrigendra Narayan Singh has been engaged in active helicopter operations in Nagaland, NEFA and Mizo Hills since August 1963. He has flown a total of 1,093 hours out of which 55 hours were on operational missions. Most of the flying has been over hazardous and inaccessible terrain. He has carried out many sorties for casualty evacuation and for carrying troops in the vicinity of hostile elements. His willingness to fly on difficult missions in adverse weather and inhospitable terrain, has set an inspiring example to his juniors.

Throughout, Flight Lieutenant Mrigendra Narayan Singh displayed courage and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Flight Lieutenant Manjit Singh Sekhon has been serving in one of the Helicopter Units in the Eastern Sector. On a number of occasions, he has successfully carried out supply dropping and casualty evacuation from extremely difficult places at grave personal risk. He has completed 1,100 hours of operational flying in Helicopters in NEFA, Nagaland and Mizo Hills. In addition, he has been carrying out instructional duties and has always been setting an example to others.

Throughout, Flight Lieutenant Manjit Singh Sekhon displayed courage and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Flight Lieutenant Tarlok Singh Dhaliwal is serving as a pilot in a transport Squadron engaged in an air maintenance role in the eastern regions. He is a qualified flying Instructor and has flown a total of 3,360 hours out of which 1,650 hours are on operational missions. During the Chinese aggression in 1962, he carried out many supply dropping sorties. His intimate knowledge of the terrain of NEFA and Mizo Hills and his experience in carrying out numerous landings at Advance Landing Grounds has been very useful in the training of junior pilots. He has been a source of great inspiration to his junior colleagues.

Throughout, Flight Lieutenant Tarlok Singh Dhaliwal displayed courage and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

201000 Master Warrant Officer Kaniyath Raghava Menon joined the Indian Air Force in 1947. He started his career as a Flight Engineer on Liberators in 1955 and later converted on to the Super-Constellations. In 1955 he was posted to a Transport Squadron where he started flying as a Flight Engineer. He had flown 4,000 hours which included numerous air landings on Advanced Landing Grounds and supply dropping missions. It was during one of the operational supply dropping missions that he lost his life.

Throughout, Master Warrant Officer Kaniyath Raghava Menon displayed courage and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force,

Warrant Signaller Babaji Shripatrao More has been serving with Heavy Transport Squadron in Jammu and Kashmir since April 1963. He has volunteered for most of the difficult sorties and has flown a total of nearly 6,350 hours including about 2.660 hours on operations. During the India-Pakistan conflict in 1965, he had flown more than 102 hours. He has also carried out more than 1,060 sorties on supply dropping and landings at Advance Landing Grounds. By his experience and intimate knowledge of the terrain, he has helped a great deal in fulfilling the task allotted to his unit.

Throughout, Warrant Signaller Babaji Shripatrao More displayed courage and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.

Warrant Signaller Jaswant Jit Singh has been serving with a heavy transport Squadron in Jammu and Kashmir since March 1963. Earlier, he had served in two transport squadrons employed in air-lift in Jammu and Kashmir. He has a total of 4,250 hours of flying to his credit of which 1,520 are operational flying hours. He has always volunteered for hazardous operational missions. Throughout, Warrant Signaller Jaswant Jit Singh has displayed courage, professional skill and high devotion to duty.

Warrant Signaller Jagdish Singh Gill has been serving with a Heavy Transport Squadron since May 1961. He has flown total of 6,800 hours out of which 3,000 hours have been on operational sorties. His vast experience has always been of great help in the planning and execution of his Section's task. He has been responsible for training and conversion of many signallers, in spite of the heavy Squadron commitments. On 25th November 1966, when on a cross country flight No. 2 engine of the aircraft caught fire. Warrant Signaller Gill displayed cool courage and great presence of mind by helping the crew in bringing the situation under control. Not only was two way communication maintained throughout the flight, but also diversionary airfield was alerted to meet the emergency.

Throughout, Warrant Signaller Jagdish Singh Gill displayed courage and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force.