Flying Officer Ranjan Bhattacharya was commissioned in the Administrative Branch of the Indian Air Force in June, 1968.

During the December, 1971 operations he as a Photo Officer of a Fighter Bomber Squadron operating in a forward airfield in the Western Sector, set up a field Photo Section for the Squadron.

His Section had to look after the processing of films not only of his Squadron but also of all the units operating from air field. On 13th December, 1971, when the Squadron was given a Photo task by the Army to photograph Chhamb and a large area west of Tawi river, he accomplished the job of processing 800 feet of film, titling each negative and making 1200 prints in the shortest possible time, by working throughout the night despite enemy bombing raids. The photographs with enlargements were thus delivered to the Army in time for their future planning.

Flying officer Ranjan Bhattacharya displayed great zeal, high devotion to duty and exceptional professional skill in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force. For his distinguished service of a high order, he is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

Flying Officer Chandra Shankara Narayana was commissioned in the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) Branch of the Indian Air Force in June, 1968. Since February, 1971, he has been serving with a Unit engaged in sensitive activities.

Since his arrival at the unit, Flying officer Shankara Narayanan showed an extremely keen interest in his duties. His appreciation of his responsibilities was far beyond his age and service experience. His discharge of his duties and responsibilities was always carried out with unfailing dedication.

During the Indo-Pak operations in December 1971, Flying Officer Shankara Narayanan, as a Detachment Commander located in advanced operational area in Punjab Sector, showed his merits and capabilities to even greater heights. Even under frequent enemy air actions, he steadfastly and with dedicated zeal not only carried out his duties but also was a source of inspiration to all airmen under him. His efforts contributed substantially to our Air-operation in Punjab Sector.

Flying Officer Chandra Shankara Narayanan displayed leadership and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force and has rendered distinguished service of a high order. He is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

Master Warrant Officer Phanindra Mohan Sen has been working as Master Warrant Officer-in-charge 2nd Line Servicing Section of a Fighter Bomber Squadron for the last one year. During the period he keenly devoted himself in formulating planned inspection schedules and their implementations. This resulted in better control and efficient utilization of men and material. He organised and coordinated activities of various sections in order to reduce inspection timings and enhance production from Repair and Servicing Section.

Prior to the hostilities his section was much hard pressed and was confronted with the gigantic task of completing inspections in anticipation of the hostilities. This was required to be done to reduce inspections during operations. Also during this period three aircraft were severely damaged due to bird hits and required engine changes besides Cat 'AC' repairs. In addition to this second line servicing was required to be dispersed. Master Warrant Officer Phanindra Mohan Sen worked day and night and deployed his manpower in such a way that the second line servicing was successfully dispersed without any hold ups in inspections or engine changes. His foresight and planning paid excellent dividends and he managed to produce 23 Inspections, 33 repairs and major rectification and 4 engine changes during the recent operations against Pakistan. But for his complete devotion and efficient planning the above output would have been greatly lacking.

Master Warrant Officer Phanindra Mohan Sen displayed high organising ability, technical ability and to duty in the best tradition of the Air Force for his distinguished service of a high order, he is awarded Vishisht Seva Medal.

Master Warrant Officer Ram Naresh Misra was attached as Technical Officer of an adhoc operational unit in the Western Sector. This unit was formed to meet certain urgent operational commitments and was to operate from an Advance Landing Ground to provide close support to our ground forces in that Sector. Despite initial shortage of servicing tools and facilities he worked day and night in complete disregard to his personal safety and ensured a very high state of Aircraft serviceability. Through his personal example of devotion and sustained hard work he inspired his men and formed an excellent team to accomplish the tasks allotted lit. He displayed high resourcefulness by establishing perfect liaison with the Local Army Units in that area.

He personally loaded the Armament in the aircraft with such skill that there was not a single case of hang up of armament.

Master Warrant Officer Ram Naresh Misra displayed high organising ability, devotion to duty and capacity for sustained hard work in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force. He is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

During the Indo-Pak conflict of December, 1971 he fulfilled all tasks with determination, enthusiasm and skill. His organizing ability, perseverance and professional skill greatly contributed to speedy servicing and clearance of major rectifications rendering the aircraft available for operational missions without break. His untiring efforts and professional competence have made a significant contribution to the operational efficiency and achievement of the Wing.

For his distinguished service of a high order and professional skill, Master Warrant Officer Amar Singh is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

Warrant Officer Ishwar Singh was posted as Mechanical Transport Officer at a forward base in the Western Sector during the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971. Inspite of his old age and difficult working conditions with sub-zero temperature prevailing at the place he remained at his post all the time. He organised the Mechanical Transport Section so well that it met with all the operational requirements. In addition to his duties as Mechanical Transport Officer he voluntarily assumed the duties of a Sector Commander in the station ground defence organisation. He inspired his men and personally led them on patrol duties.

Warrant Officer Ishwar Singh displayed great devotion to duty, organising ability and professional skill of a high order and thereby rendered distinguished service. He is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

200052 Warrant Officer Darbara Singh was posted as Warrant Officer in-charge Central Repair and Servicing Section for Fighter Bomber aircraft at a forward air base during the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971. By efficiently managing the Central Repair and Servicing Section he appreciably reduced the turn time around time of the Fighter Bomber aircraft thereby increased the rate of serviceability. Undaun ted by the enemy raids he continued working and by his personal example inspired his colleagues and subordinates to contribute substantially to the operational readiness of the aircraft.

Warrant Officer Darbara Singh displayed dedication to duty, professional skill of a very high order and thereby rendered distinguished service in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force. He is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

100917 Flight Sergeant Ranjit Kumar Dutta displayed professional skill and devotion to duty and has rendered distinguished service of a high order. He is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

During the Indo-Pak Conflict, he displayed great enthusiasm and ingenuity in rectification of cranes and tractors which had been unserviceable for long periods. He also serviced a Crash Tender which was lying unserviceable due to non-availability of some parts, by fabricating the parts indigenously.

For displaying professional skill, ingenuity and devotion to duty of a high order, Flight Sergeant Shivinder Kumar Suri is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

Flight Sergeant Rattan Lal Mehta was working in a Surface to Air Guided Weapons Squadron during the Indo-Pak war in December 1971. On 3rd December, 1971 he made the transport loading machine serviceable in the middle of the night by transferring highly inflammable and toxic fuel on the missile tank and loaded the missiles on the launcher for firing in record time.

For his devotion to duty in complete disregard to personal safety, and his professional skill of a high order he is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

208020 Flight Sergeant Bireswar Mukherjee was Senior Non Commissioned officer incharge of Armament Section in a Fighter Squadron at a forward base in the Western Sector during the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971. He worked round the clock to prepare aircraft without any regard to his personal comfort and safety. Even during the enemy raids he continued with harmonization, rectification and arming up the aircraft. With his extraordinary zeal, cool headedness and the high professional skill he inspired a special sense of duty amongst all the persons under him and thereby ensured full operational preparedness of the aircraft for the mission.

Flight Sergeant Bireswar Mukherjee displayed great devotion to duty, determination and professional skill of a high order. He is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

208052 Flight Sergeant Mannettu Varkey Phillipose served as Senior Non-Comm issioned Officer in charge of Sheet Metal Bay at a Base Repair Depot during the Indo-Pak Conflict of December, 1971.

Flight Sergeant Phillipose was entrusted with the task of fabricating of camera modifications and belting of tools for certain type of aircraft. He showed remarkable skill and a high degree of technical competence in the design and fabrication of these items and as a direct result of which the performance of our operational aircraft was considerably augmented.

In the execution of the above task, Flight Sergeant Phillipose was required to work for long hours as for every task the time schedule laid down for completion of task was very tight. He completed these tasks in time with complete disregard for his personal comfort.

Flight Sergeant Mannettu Varkey Phillipose displayed professional skill, ingenuity and devotion to duty and has rendered distinguished service of a high order. He is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

212572 Flight Sergeant Devi Sharn Sharma served with a Base Repair Depot at the time of outbreak of hostilities with Pakistan in December, 1971. He was entrusted with the job of designing, fabricating and developing the mounting structure for camera modification of a supersonic fighter aircraft. The work, apart from being voluminous and arduous, called for a technical skill of a very high order. Structural work involved converting the drop tank into a camera pod was planned and executed by him in a record time of five weeks. This increased the operational capability of the aircraft.

Flight Sergeant Devi Sharn Sharma displayed high professional skill, ingenuity and devotion to duty and has rendered distinguished service of a high order. He is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

219440 Flight Sergeant Ramdas Ganpathrao Jodh served with a Base Repair Depot at the outbreak of hostilities with Pakistan in December, 1971. He was responsible for preparing the design for electrical circuitry and routing diagrams for camera modification of certain types of aircraft. He was also responsible for suggesting improvement in fitment of Batteries in aircraft. He has been responsible for manufacturing a number of electrical assemblies for a particular type of aircraft both for the use of Depot as well as for operating units.

Flight Sergeant Ramdas Ganpathrao Jodh displayed professional skill, ingenuity and devotion to duty and rendered distinguished service of a high order. He is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

218640 Sergeant Karunakara Gangadharan is serving with an operational Wing.

He has shown a commendable degree of professional skill, zeal and energy in the manufacture and repair of urgently required Ground Equipment for aircraft servicing. He reclaimed some aircraft spares which were in short supply. His contribution in the fabrication of special adapters for carriage of certain new type of armament stores on Bomber aircraft required for operational mission, during the Indo-Pak operations was outstanding.

For his outstanding service of a high order and professional skill, Sergeant Karunakaran Gangadharan is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

222975 Sergeant Jotirmoy Chatterjee was enrolled in the Indian Air Force as a technician in December, 1857. During the Indo-Pak operations in December, 1971, he served as the Senior Non-Commissioned Officer in charge of aircraft maintenance and servicing of an Air O.P. Flight in the Eastern Sector.

The Air O.P. Flight was deployed in support of a Corps and had therefore to operate from different helipads; constantly moving from one field to another. Under such trying conditions the responsibility of maintaining and servicing the aircraft rested on Sergeant Chatterjee. He applied himself diligently to the task and worked long hours under consider able pressure without any regard for his personal comfort. With his exemplary devotion to duty, he inspired the men to give their best inspite of handicaps.

During the operations in Akhura, Brahama nbaria and Laksham Sectors, when an aircraft became unserviceable, Sergeant Chatterjee worked with determination on the night of 8th/9th December, 1971, with the help of ordinary hurricane lamps, accomplished the change of engine and thus made the aircraft airworthy to undertake vital operational mission the next morning.

Throughout the operations, Sergeant Chatterjee displayed leadership, high professional skill and extreme devotion to duty. He made a significant contribution towards the operational achievements of his unit. For his distinguished service of a high order, Sergeant Jotirmoy Chatterjee is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

During the Indo-Pak operations in December, 1971, 223025 Sergeant Suhas chandra Khanderao Gupte served with a bomber Squadron. He was responsible for servicing and rectification of the aircraft. Throughout this assignment, he displayed a remarkable sense of duty, professional skill and enthusiasm. To a very large measure, it is due to his ceaseless efforts by night and by day that the aircraft serviceability was maintained at a very high figure. In an instance, when detailed at very short notice for an engine change on an aircraft held up at an outstation base, he carried out the task with utmost speed and enabled the aircraft to be brought on line for the operational mission the very next day.

Sergeant Suhaschandra Khanderao Gupte displayed professional skill and devotion to duty of a high order in keeping with the best traditions of the Indian Air Force. He is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

229457 Sergeant Esakkre Chelliah is serving with an operational Squadron.

He worked with single minded devotion to servicing and repair of Electrical systems on Bomber aircraft to ensure a very high rate of serviceability prior to and during the period of hostilities. His contribution to a major modification of the aircraft for launch of special Armament stores was outstanding. The modified aircraft were available in time for use on Operational missions during the Indo-Pak operations.

For his distinguished service of a high order and professional sill, Sergeant Esakkre Chelliah is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

236986 Sergeant Bairava Kasu Subbaro Babu Rao was posted to a Guided Weapons Squadron in the forward area in the Western Sector during the Indo-Pak conflict of December, 1971.

During and prior to December, 1971 operations he displayed outstanding tenacity and devotion to duty inspite of very limited servicing facilities. On one occasion he worked round the clock to rewire one unit in the system and completed the difficult task in 48 hours. This task was a fourth line job and would have taken at least a week if it was sent to a normal repair agency. It was because of his professional skill and determination that a job beyond the scope of the unit could be successfully completed. His untiring efforts culminated in making the Guided Weapon Squadron available for operational duties.

Sergeant Bairava Kasu Subbaro Babu Rao displayed technical skill, firm determination of high order in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force. He is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

216416 Corporal Ram Kishore Gupta has been serving with an operational wing since February, 1971. On 23rd November, 1971 he was NonCommissioned Officer in-charge of crash crew. At 1650 hours, he observed one fighter aircraft coming overhead carrying out the R/T unserviceability procedure. He immediately alerted his crash crew for any eventuality. The aircraft made a heavy landing. Corporal Gupta noticed that the aircraft did not have the canopy and a little smoke was coming out of the cockpit. He correctly followed the aircraft with crash tenders and other safety vehicles. As soon as the aircraft came to halt, he with his crew reached the scene within seconds. A thick smoke and flame was coming out of the cockpit. As soon as the pilot jumped out of the cockpit Corporal Gupta and his crew extinguished the fire very efficiently. But for this prompt action the aircraft would have been seriously damaged. On 29th November, 1971, another aircraft abandoned take off. Corporal Gupta observed the smoke was coming out from the port tyre. He along with his crew promptly rushed to the aircraft and extinguished the fire before it could do any damage to the aircraft.

During the Indo-Pak operations of December, 1971, one aircraft landed back after the mission with a huge flame from underneath the fuselage was observed by the crash crew. Corporal Gupta and his crew reached the scene immediately and extinguished the fire saving valuable aircraft.

In performance of his duties, Corporal Ram Kishore Gupta displayed great enthusiasm and devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force. He is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

226893 Corporal Muthuvellu Padmanabhan, Electrician 1 has been serving with an operational Squadron for the last three years.

He has handled the difficult task of locating faults in the intricate electrical circuits of Super Constellation aircraft and rectifying them with great competence and skill. During the IndoPak operations he worked for more than 18 hours a day to see off and receive aircraft engaged on missions and ensured that the electrical system was serviceable. Disregarding personal comfort and conve nience, he set a fine example to his fellow tradesmen by his hard work and deep devotion to duty.

For his distinguished service of a high order and professional skill, Corporal Muthuvellu Padmanabhan is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

229509 Corporal Surinder Mohan Chhiber, Fitter II Airframe has been working in the Technical Workshop of a Fighter Wing since June, 1970. He was responsible for carrying out all types of skin and structural repair of the fighter aircraft operating at the Wing.

When the Wing was given the task of making a dummy fighter aircraft, he volunteered for the task. With outstanding technical skill, ingenuity and hard work, he completed the task in the stipulated time.

During the Indo-Pak hostilities in December, 1971, he distinguished himself as an outstanding member of a ground crew which attended to the battle damaged aircraft. Throughout the operations, he worked day and night and greatly contributed in getting the aircraft back on line for the next sortie.

Corporal Surinder Mohan Chhiber displayed extreme devotion to duty, ingenuity and technical skill and has rendered distinguished service of a high order. He is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.

241066 Corporal Kishan Chand Malhotra has been posted to a Casualty Evacuation Unit since July, 1971. He has distinguished himself as a dependable airman for rendering medical care to critical cases evacuated from forward areas.

During the December, 1971 operations, he was called upon to undertake numerous flights as a medical attendant and often had to look after more than one critical case including attending to in-flight transfusions. He performed his duties with superb skill, care and competence and always ensured the safe transit of patients from the forward areas. He often worked for long hours in complete disregard to his personal comfort and was a source of inspiration to others.

In carrying out his duties, Corporal Kishan Chand Malhotra displayed exceptional professional ability, capacity for sustained hard work and high devotion to duty in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force. He is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.