During the operations, against Pakistan in December 1971, Flying Officer Gey Darsha Bamboat was serving with an operational Squadron in the Western Sector. He flew a number of operational sorties. On one such sortie he was attacked by four MiG-19 aircraft of the enemy. In the engagement his aircraft was hit and the drop tank was damaged. Though he was short of fuel, he brought the aircraft back safely. On the 4th December, 1971, while carrying out search and strike mission in the Chhamb Sector, the enemy Act Ack hit and damaged his aircrafts hydraulic system but he brought the aircraft back to base.

Throughout, Flying Officer Gey Darsha Bamboat displayed courage, professional skill and devotion td duty.

During the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971, Pilot Officer Daljeet Singh Shaheed was attached to a Brigade in the Eastern Sector for duties as a Forward Air Controller in the Air Contact Team of the Brigade. On the 4th December, 1971, he directed air strike under heavy enemy artillery and small arms fire at Akhaura. Inspite of the enemy engaging his position, he continued to direct air strikes for a period of two hours. The air strikes were so accurate and effective that they inflicted heavy damage on the enemy, demoralized him and silenced his fire. Later, in the outskirt of Dacca, along river Lakhya, he took up his position at a vantage point and directed effective air strikes en enemy targets. Although he suffered an attack of Asthma on the 13th December, 1971, he continued to carry out his duties as a Forward Air Controller until the Pakistani occupation forces surrendered.

Throughout, Pilot Officer Daljeet Singh Shaheed displayed courage, professional skill and devotion to duty.

(Fitter 1) During the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971, Warrant Officer Gurdas Ram Dixit was serving as Warrant Officer-inCharge Station Workshop at a forward airfield in the Western Sector. He was responsible for the repair, servicing and rectification of various defects of the technical equipment. He ensured quick servicing of all ground equipment for aircraft and the patch repairs of the damaged aircraft.

Throughout Warrant Officer Gurdas Ram Dixit displayed professional skill and devotion to duty.

During the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971, Sergeant Pacheeri Sivasankaran was serving as the Senior NonCommissioned Officer in charge of servicing party in a Fighter Bomber Squadron. On the 6th December, 1971, at about 1700 hours, when one of the aircraft had landed and switched off at the entrance of a blast pen, the airfield was attacked by enemy aircraft. Unmindful of his safety, he, with the help of some airmen, pushed the aircraft into the blast pen and thus saved a valuable aircraft. On the 7th December, 1971, when a pilot was strapped in the cockpit ready to take off, the air raid siren was sounded. In complete disregard to his safety, Sergeant Pacheeri Sivasankaran ensured that the aircraft started and taxied out.

In these actions, Sergeant Pacheeri Sivasankaran displayed courage and devotion to duty.

During the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971, Flight Sergeant Parameshwaran Doraiswamy was posted as Senior NonCommissioned Officer-in-Charge of airfield lighting at a forward airfield in the Western Sector. He was responsible for keeping serviceable all electrical facilities for flying such a runway lighting, crash barriers, air raid alarm and light communication systems vital for operations. He successfully completed all the tasks assigned to him in the face of air attacks.

Throughout, Flight Sergeant Parameshwaran Doraiswamy displayed courage, professional skill and devotion to duty.

During the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971, Sergeant Rathinasabapathy Kanniah served with the Air Delivery Flight that airlifted vitally needed spares from different equipment depots to forward air bases. Inspite of the fact that he had to fly for long hours daily most of the time landing late at night, he was always cheerful and was a source of inspiration to the other crew members. It was largely due to him that the tasks assigned to the Air Delivery Flight were successfully completed.

Throughout, Sergeant Rathinasabapathy Kanniah displayed courage, professional skill and devotion to duty.

During the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971, Sergeant Sohan Lal Pal was serving with an operational Squadron in the Western Sector. On the 3rd December, 1971, at 2330 hours, he was supervising the loading of the Squadron aircraft in the dispersal area. There was a bombing raid at that time and several bombs were dropped near the dispersal area. He encouraged his men and continued to work on the aircraft. During this period, a bomb exploded very near the dispersal area. He continued working calmly and the men, seeing his example carried on undisturbed. He thus ensured that the full complement of the aircraft was available for the operational missions.

In this action Sergeant Sohan Lai Pal displayed courage, leadership, professional skill and devotion to duty.

During the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971, Sergeant Satish Kumar Soni was serving with an operational Squadron in the Eastern Sector. He was airlifted to Tezpur and Gauhati for servicing of aircraft needed for urgent reconnaissance commitments. On both the occasions he, by working day and night, serviced the aircraft at these locations, and thus enabled all the aircraft to complete the missions successfully.

Throughout, Sergeant Satish Kumar Soni displayed courage, professional skill and devotion to duty.

Captain Lakshminarayan Padmanabhan has been serving as a Pilot in our Air OP Flight since December, 1969. During the operations, against Pakistan in December, 1971, he was operating in the Chhamb Sector. In this Sector the enemy had heavily concentrated his armour and guns and the Sector was his main axis. Between 6th and 17th December, 1971 Captain Padmanabhan carried out a total of 31 Operational Sorties in the face of heavy ground opposition. He successfully directed the fire of our own Artillery guns and was instrumental in the destruction of several enemy tanks, ELMS and vehicular convoys.

Throughout, Captain Lakshminarayan Padmanabhan displayed courage, professional skill and devotion to duty.

During the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971, Wing Commander Vijay Chand Mankotia was the Station Commander of a Transport Base. He provided such remarkable facilities at his Base that the fighter operations during the conflict went through with exceptional smoothness and success. He ensured that all the needs of the fighter force, both administrative and operational, were fully met. In addition, he converted a transport aircraft for operations in bombing role. This employment of a transport aircraft, the first mission of which he himself led, played an important part in the harassment role over enemy airfields at night and in the strike role over defended targets by day.

Throughout, Wing Commander Vijay Chand Mankotia displayed courage, professional skill and devotion to duty.

During the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971, Squadron Leader Trevor Joseph Fernandez was the Flight Commander of a Fighter Bomber Squadron. He flew fourteen operations missions in support of our ground forces and was responsible for the destruction of one tank, four vehicles and one enemy gun position He successfully attacked the Sulemanki Head Works scoring direct bomb hits which contributed significantly in halting the enemy Armour. In addition, he also successfully bombed Zaffarwal and Norowal Railway yards and attacked the Radar Unit at Walton.

Throughout, Squadron Leader Trevor Joseph Fernandez displayed courage, professional skill and devotion to duty.

During the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971, Warrant Officer Rangappa Rangaswamy was serving as a Flight Gunner with a Transport Squadron. He undertook a number of bombing missions. During a night bombing mission on the 3rd December, 1971, his aircraft encountered intense and heavy ground fire. The aircraft sustained a number of direct hits and bullets passed through the gunner's cabin. He, however, effectively suppressed the ground fire, by engaging with his guns and inflicting casualties on the enemy. Unmindful of his personal safety, he performed his duties on all missions with a high sense of devotion to duty and courage.

Throughout, Warrant Officer Rangappa Rangaswamv displayed courage, professional skill and devotion to duty.

Squadron Leader Subhash Madanmohan Hundiwala has been commanding a helicopter unit since February, 1971. In April, 1971, he was assigned an important and difficult task which necessitated airlifting of men and stores at a very short notice. Nearly 600 hours of flying effort was put in by his Detachment within a short span of 40 days, of which over 400 hours were flown during the first 15 days. In carrying out a task of such magnitude, he displayed leadership, organizing ability and exceptional devotion to duty.

Wing Commander Ramesh Krishnarao Na garkatti took over command of Navigation and Signals School in May, 1970. With his resou rcefulness and effective management, he was able to overcome many difficulties confronting the unit. As a result, he achieved the completion of all the courses on schedule with good results. His constant exhortation and personal example let to the upgrading of the transport categories of pilots, navigators, signallers and the instructional categories of qualified navigational instructors. He has flown over 4,500 hours, of which nearly 1,300 are by night. It was largely due to his untiring efforts and personal supervision as a Commander as well as a highly skilled navigator, that the Navigation and Signals School had a perfect flight safety record during 1970.

Wing Commander Dayashanker Mishra was posted to a Base Repair Depot in January, 1970, and was entrusted with the task of organising the major servicing of certain types of aircraft and helicopters. The Depot was required to shoulder a commitment far in excess of its approved task. He made a realistic appraisal of the whole situation and planned the aircraft production sections on modern lines to meet the increased com mitment. He evolved certain repair and servicing schemes and planned the re­sequencing of various technical activities and processes so as to cut down turn-round time. This greatly accelerated the aircraft production programme. He also launched a drive for utilisation of indigenous items and the reclamation of parts in short supply. As a result, the Depot not only exceeded its production task but has also been placed on a more sound footing.

Wing Commander Rajagopal Shriramulu Naidu took over the command of an operational squadron in April, 1970. The squadron was faced with a number of maintenance problems and at the same time was allotted a significant increase in its flying task. By intelligent planning, hard work and effective supervision, Wing Commander Naidu ensured the completion of the allotted task. In addition to this, he was assigned the task of planning and execution of certain exercises and displays. In this also, he showed excellent results. He has a total of 8,125 hours of flying to his credit, of which more than 1,000 hours have been by night. He is also a very successful flying instructor.

Wing Commander Sandip Sen has been commanding an operational squadron since September, 1968. During 1969 and 1970, the Squadron was required to complete an operational task as well as an important training assignment. At the same time, the squadron's resources of aircraft had to be heavily curtailed. That the Squadron met both these important tasks successfully is an indication of the inspiring leadership and professional competence of Wing Commander Sen. He has flown 5,678 hours including over 1,500 hours on operations. He is also an experienced flying instructor.

Wing Commander Vaidyanathan Krishnamurthy has been serving as the Chief Instructor at a Transport Training Wing since November, 1969. On the 1st March, 1971, he was detailed as Captain of an aircraft which was on a special mission to Jaypor Airfield. About two minutes after passing over the town of Rayaguda, Wing Commander Krishnamurthy saw smoke coming from the cowling of the port engine. Oil was also pouring out of the engine. He immediately reduced power on the affected engine and abandoned the climb. He noticed that the reduction of power also reduced the flow of smoke and oil. He thereupon decided to make an emergency landing at Rayaguda landing strip. Despite the defective engine, the difficult approaches and the short length available for the landing run, he made a safe landing, without any damage to the aircraft and its occupants.

Wing Commander Ramanathan Sundaresan has been commanding an operational training unit since July, 1969. During the period of his Command, he demonstrated his flying skill under extremely hazardous conditions on several occasions. Under his inspiring leadership, the unit has achieved the remarkable utilisation figure of 100 hours per month per aircraft. In spite of the long working hours involved in achieving this task, Wing Commander Sundaresan maintained the morale of the personnel of his unit at a very high level.

Wing Commander Allan Albert D'Costa took over command of a Fighter Squadron, which was being equipped with a new type of aircraft. He organised the squadron on sound lines, ensuring that the administrative and maintenance echelons were geared up to meet the heavy training commitments necessary for achieving combat preparedness at an early date. While he himself flew more than 400 sorties, involving over 300 hours on the new type of aircraft, he ensured that all the pilots in the Squadron were also adequately trained and made ready for combat.

Wing Commander Vidya Sagar Chadha took over the Command of an Operational Squadron in November, 1969. Under his leadership, the Squadron achieved a very high degree of combat preparedness in a short time. This was demonstrated in mid1970, when the Squadron won the Command Combat Efficiency Trophy. Wing Commander Chadha led a group of supersonic fighters in the Inter-Command Weapons Meet in 1970. His group's results were the best for their category. He has 4,000 hours of accident free, single-engine flying to his credit, out of which nearly 3,500 hours are on Jet aircraft. Throughout his tenure as Squadron Commander, he has displayed exceptional devotion to duty and has set the finest standards in flying and airmanship for the younger pilots to emulate.

Squadron Leader Manohar Lal Behl has been serving as Flight Commander in an Operational Squadron since December, 1969. Under the general supervision of the Squadron Commander, he was responsible for planning and execution of all operation and training commitments of the Squadron. By his untiring efforts, he brought about considerable improvement in the Squadron's operational capability. In spite of difficult conditions, all operational tasks were fulfilled. He has 6,040 hours of accident free flying to his credit.

Squadron Leader Hallowin Kailasam is serving as a Flight Commander in the Air Force Flying Instructors School. He has 4,200 hours of flying to his credit, of which more than 2,600 hours are on instructional flying. The introduction of a new type of training aircraft at the Flying Instructors' School called for the formulation of an entirely new training programme. This included conversion of the staff of the School, compilation of new syllabi, pilots' notes and revision of the Instructors' handbook. He carried out intensive day and night flying on the new aircraft, collected valuable data, and compiled comprehensive notes which are pf considerable help in the conduct of training on this type at aircraft.

Squadron Leader Gurbachan Singh has been serving as the Chief Instrumentation and Electrical Officer at an Aircraft and Armament Testing Unit since May, 1969. He was largely responsible for the successful development of a number of aircraft instruments and aids. These tasks were undertaken by him in addition to the normal heavy commitment of flight trials systems assessment and flight test instrumentations. He has worked as the Chief Project Officer of the Unit and in this capacity has been responsible for the planning and execution of some flight trials programmes. He kept himself well informed about modern developments in aircraft system, and is an Associate Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Squadron Leader Minoo Vania has been a Parachute Jump Instructor since 1959. He is the first Indian to complete 500 live descents. He has jumped at places ranging from the mountains of Ladakh to the breaches of the South and from jungles of NEFA to the deserts of Rajasthan. Over the last 12 years, he has been associated with series of paratrooping trials. As the Chief Instructor at the Paratroopers Training School, he has rendered commendable service.

Squadron Leader Philip Philip has been on the strength of an Operational Squadron since May 1967. He is an experienced transport Pilot and a flying instructor and has flown over 4,950 accident free hours. Of these, 1,572 hours were on operational missions over mountainous terrains. Beside his normal flying duties, he has made an outstanding contribution as the Squadron Training Officer, in successfully converting a large number of pilots on to the type of aircraft with which his Squadron is equipped. In addition, he has been responsible for raising the Squadron categorization status and the percentage of his aircrews holding valid categories has doubled in a little over a year. Largely as a result of this, the Squadron has been able to meet all its operational commitments. In February 1969 when no information about a rowing boat which was in the Bay of Bengal was forthcoming, Squadron Leader Philip Philip embarked on a search and rescue mission. Although the capability of his aircraft for maritime reconnaissance was limited he successfully traced the boat in about two hours. Having located the boat, he guided a pilot vessel towards the boat, and continued circling to ensure that the pilot vessel reached it. On three occasions while carrying out operational flights, his aircraft suffered airborne emergencies. On each occasion, he took prompt action and brought the aircraft back to safety.

Squadron Leader Nestor Joseph De Conceicao is serving as a Flight Commander in an Operational Squadron. He has flown over 5,140 hours without an accident, including 1,475 hours of instructional flying and 1,338 hours on operational missions. He has been responsible for training and supervision of pilots in the air maintenance role. Recently, on an air maintenance mission to an advanced landing ground, his aircraft had an engine failure. He took correct and timely action in the emergency and landed the aircraft safely.

Squadron Leader Anand Narain Mehtani has been commanding a Helicopter Unit for nearly two years. His Unit has met all its operational commitments. Due to the untiring efforts of Squadron Leader Mehtani, the Unit was soon able to undertake operational missions allotted to it, using the new types of aircraft with which the Unit was reequipped. He has flown nearly 3,000 hours including over 1850 hours on helicopters operating over difficult terrain in the Northern and Eastern Sectors. During his tenure as Officer Commanding, he has shown exceptional devotion to duty and has displayed courage in carrying out casualty evacuation from remote and difficult helipads. He has set a fine example in flying and airmanship to other pilots.

Squadron Leader Nilkanth Keshav Barve has been commanding a Helicopter Unit since January 1969. He has flown more than 3,300 hours, of which over 1,240 hours were on operational missions in the Northern and Eastern Sector. He has also 1,050 instructional flying hours to his credit. Throughout his career, he has displayed extreme devotion to duty and has set an inspiring example to others in undertaking hazardous flying commitments. Under his leadership, his unit achieved an accident free flying record. He has also trained many pilots in a special role.

Squadron Leader Vijay Pal Singh Gill is serving as Flight Commander of an Operational Squadron. He has to his credit nearly 6,000 accident free flying hours of which 2,200 hours were on operational missions. He has set a high standard in airmanship and has always been in the forefront of all arduous and difficult missions. His enthusiasm has inspired all those who have come in contact with him. He has taken keen interest in training and has ensured that pilots of his Squadron are qualified as captains in the shortest possible time.

Squadron Leader Joseph Thomas has been a pilot in the Indian Air Force for ten years.

This officer served in a reconnaissance squadron for four years. In this time he flew 230 sorties of aerial survey, which required very accurate planning and execution. Flying over rugged, mountainous terrain using inaccurate maps he achieved results of a very high standard. On two occasions when his aircraft was crippled by mechanical failures he brought back the disabled aircraft safely to base.

For his professional acumen, presence of mind and unflinching devotion to duty, Squadron Leader Thomas is awarded the Vayu Sena Medal.

On the 23rd July, 1971, Captain Sarab Jot Singh Saighal, who was serving with an Air Observation Squadron, was flying an aircraft on a reconnaissance mission. After successfully completing the mission, he set course for base. After about seven minutes of flying, a burning smell in the cockpit, which appeared to be coming from the rear, was brought to the notice of the officer. With extreme alertness of mind and professional skill he, with the help of his copilot, carried out a systematic check to establish the cause of the burning smell. At this time, they were flying over a completely flooded and water logged area and there was no force landing field visible in close vicinity. In the meantime, the cockpit became foggy with smoke and he decided to carry out a forced landing. In spite of poor visibility due to smoke in the cockpit, he skillfully manoeuvred his aircraft safely into a small and the only dry spot available in the area. By his timely action he not only saved the lives of the occupants of the aircraft but also avoided damage to a costly aircraft.

On the 23rd July, 1971, Captain Gurbaksh Singh Sihota was the second pilot of an aircraft which was detailed on a reconnaissance mission. After successfully completing the mission, the aircraft headed for the base. After about seven minutes of flying, there was a burning smell in the cockpit. At this time, they were flying over completely flooded and water logged area. He assisted the Captain of the aircraft in locating and selecting a field for forced landing, and in carrying out vital checks before force landing.

The thoroughness with which Captain Gurbaksh Singh Sihota performed his duties as second pilot under trying conditions is one of the brightest examples of professional competence and presence of mind which were responsible for saving valuable lives and avoiding damage to a costly aircraft.

On the 4th September, 1970, Flight Lieutenant Bohman Rashid Irani was leading a three aircraft low level tactical training mission. After completing a turn, his aircraft which was flying at a speed of 900 km per hour was struck by a bird. The impact damaged the front windscreen and the left quarter light, making them opaque. The right quarter light was shattered and Flight Lieutenant Irani was struck on the right side of his face with broken glass and parts of the bird. The injuries caused bleeding and completely obscured the vision of his right eye. Even though he had no forward vision with his right injured eye and the air was rushing in through the right quarter light panel, he kept the aircraft under control and made a safe landing.

Flight Lieutenant Pratipaul Singh Parihar was detailed to fly on a practice interception mission on the night of the 15th December, 1970. During the flight, the main hydraulic system of his aircraft failed which resulted in severe limitations on his engine power. He carried out the difficult manoeuvre of a descending circuit pattern with skill. When he was on the final stage of approach, the runway lights went off due to power failure. In spite of these difficulties, he landed the aircraft safely.

Flight Lieutenant Mangta Singh was commissioned in the Air Force in November, 1963 after over 18 years of service as an airman, He has served with distinction in a number of operational and maintenance units. In 1970, he earned the commendation of the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Maintenance Command, for his work in setting up the test rigs necessary for the major repair of aircraft engines. Since February, 1970, he has been serving as the Engineering Officer of an Operational Squadron. In the Squadron, number of aero engines had been withdrawn from service due to certain defect. He investigated the matter and established that the cause of the defect was the malfunctioning of a valve. By replacing the defective valve, many engines were made serviceable and a considerable amount of foreign exchange was saved.

Flight Lieutenant Yoginder Prakash has been serving with a Helicopter Unit in the Eastern Sector since November, 1968. He has a total of 2,639 flying hours to his credit. On the 16th August, 1970, he was detailed on a special mission. Enroute, the engine of his helicopter failed. However, he manoeuvred the helicopter away from hills covered with thick jungle, and landed it in a paddy field. He displayed great professional skill, courage and judgment in handling the emergency.

Flight Lieutenant Krishan Adhar Singh Tyagi has been serving with the Transport Training Wing since January, 1969. He has flown more than 3,680 hours, out of which 1,340 hours are on instructional duties. On the 27th February, 1971, he was Captain of an aircraft. During the flight, the port engine failed. The aircraft was fully loaded and even with full power on the starboard engine it gradually lost height. Eventually, when only 4,000 feet above sea level it was able to maintain height but at that height it had to fly in cloud and heavy rain. He diverted to the nearest airfield. In order to do so, he had to fly through bad weather for nearly 45 minutes. At the airport, he carried out a safe landing even though the runway was water-logged due to a heavy downpour. Throughout the emergency, he displayed great presence of mind and excellent airmanship.

Flight Lieutenant Minoo Ruci Wadia has been serving with an Operational Squadron since October 1969. He has 2,000 flying hours to his credit out of which 1,400 hours are on operational flying. On the 11th September, 1970, he was detailed to fly from Allahabad to Bangalore. After becoming airborne, when approximately 135 miles south of Begumpet, he experienced loss of propeller control on the starboard engine. The aircraft which was fully loaded began to lose height rapidly. He controlled the aircraft on asymmetric power and reduced the loss of height to the minimum by ejecting the jettisonable load and diverted the aircraft to Cuddappah airfield for an emergency landing. This airfield was inadequate for landing the aircraft, but there was no alternative. During the landing run at Cuddappah, the engine reverse pitch did not function in time. After rolling for about 600 yards, he found that the nose wheel steering had also failed with the resultant loss of directional control. Inspite of these mechanical failures, he remained cool, and skillfully brought the aircraft to a safe halt within the short space available.

Flight Lieutenant Ajit Kumar Manohar Raje is serving with an Operational Squadron. On the night of the 11th January, 1971, he was detailed to carry out a practice interception flight. Towards the end of the flight, he suddenly experienced a total failure of all his pressure instruments and as such no information about his altitude, air speed and rate of climb or descent was available. He then found that his artificial horizon and radio altimeter were also not working. At this critical moment, he was faced with the choice of either abandoning the aircraft or carrying out a landing. Inspite of the failure of vital instruments, he chose the latter course in order to save the aircraft. With consummate skill he succeeded in making a safe landing.

Flight Lieutenant Tarlochan Singh was commissioned in the Air Force in May, 1965. He has since then served with an operational transport squadron. Unmindful of his personal comfort and safety, he has always volunteered himself for arduous tasks. He is a source of inspiration to all his fellow aircrew. He is a Navigator of exceptional professional skill. It is an outstanding achievement that in the short space of one year Flight Lieutenant Singh has flown over 1,200 hours, of which over 1,000 hours were on operational missions.

Flight Lieutenant Bhupinder Singh Chandel is serving with a Helicopter Unit. On 24th January, 1971, he was detailed to evacuate Army personnel from a picket in the Northern Sector. These men were suffering from acute frost bite find were in severe shock sustained during an unexpected blizzard and avalanche. The visibility was very poor and the picket was covered with a thick blanket of snow. While flying over the area, Flight Lieutenant Chandel found that hoisting of casualties by the Rescue Hoist was not possible due to strong winds. He, therefore, executed a landing on difficult side and succeeded in evacuating five men, in a serious condition, to the base hospital. It was because of his fine performance that the lives of these five men were saved.

Flight Lieutenant Amiesh Sengupta has been serving as Flight Commander of the Jet Bomber Conversion Unit since August 1969. During the period March 1970 to February 1971, he was the only qualified instructor available at the Unit. Inspite of this he completed the training of three courses on schedule, working 12 to 14 hours a day. On 19th January and again on 5th March 1970, while carrying out training flights, he was faced with total hydraulic failures on his aircraft. He handled these emergencies with courage and high professional skill, and on both the occasions, landed the aircraft safely at base. During his eight years of service, he has flown 3,500 accident free hours, of which 1,900 hours have been on instructional duties.

Flying Officer Berry Sommanna has been serving on aircrew duties with an operational Squadron since December 1968. During this period, he had flown a total of 1,940 hours, of which 1,650 hours have been on air maintenance operations over the hazardous terrain in the Eastern Sector. Flying Officer Sommanna has always volunteered for difficult assignments and particularly hazardous missions. His cheerfulness and devotion to duty have been an inspiration to his colleagues.

Flying Officer Shashikant Anandnath Koppikar has been serving with an operational squadron since October 1966. On the 30th March 1971, he was detailed to carry out a training flight. When about 30 miles away from the base, he noticed a drop in his engine oil pressure and turned back. Later, he found that the techogenerator in the aircraft had also failed. About 20 miles from base, he heard a high pitched whine. He continued his efforts to control the engine but, when about six miles from base, there was a sudden loud noise and the aircraft began to vibrate. It also swung violently and began losing height at an abnormally high rate. He took corrective action and succeeded in regaining some control over the aircraft. Finally, the engine seized completely. Throughout these emergencies, he remained calm and by his judgment and skilful airmanship, he succeeded in landing the aircraft safely at base.

Flying Officer Jyoti Prakash Mathur has been serving with a helicopter unit since April 1968. On the 27th April 1971, while serving with a Detachment he was detailed to undertake an operational mission. On the return flight his, track lay over thick forest and hilly terrain. After flying for 30 minutes the engine of the helicopter failed due to a mechanical defect. He immediately put the aircraft into auto­rotation, and proceeded to carry out a forced landing. He selected a paddy field on the edge of the forest and skillfully manoeuvred the helicopter to a safe landing.

Master Warrant Officer Kollengode Narayana Venkatachalam has been a Parachute Jump Instructor since 1946. He has a record of over 400 descents. He has jumped from different types of aircraft, and his efforts include pioneering jumps, demonstrations, experimental and trial jumps with indigenous parachutes and airborne equipment, high altitude jumps and sea and survival jumps. His keenness and skill as a Parachute Jump Instructor are a source of Inspiration to younger instructors. The present standards in the Paratroopers Training School are a testimony to his missionary, zeal and pioneering work in this specialised field.

Warrant Officer Asha Mukul Sarkar has been serving with, an operational Squadron as a Flight Engineer since January 1962. He has attained the highest transport category "A" in his aircrew duties. He has to his credit over 3000 flying hours. His capacity for intelligent analysis of aircraft defects is excellent. He has always evinced keen interest in flying and has discharged his duties as Flight Engineer with zeal and enthusiasm. He has faced many a grave situation in the air calmly and with confidence. Twice his aircraft developed engine trouble in flight and on both the occasions, his timely detection of the faults and sound advice to the pilots on remedial measures helped in landing the aircraft safely.

Sergeant Hira Singh Saini has been serving with an operational Squadron as a Signaller (Air) for three years. During this period, he has flown a total of 2260 hours, out of which 1655 hours were on operational missions. Unmindful of his personal comfort he has always volunteered for hazardous missions and extra commitments. His devotion to duty at all times, and particularly under stress, has been an inspiration to his colleagues. He has carried out his duties with zeal, perseverance and efficiency, setting an example worthy of emulation.