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Arjan Singh is IAF Marshal
By Our Special Correspondent
Former IAF chief, Arjan Singh, with his wife, Teji, at his residence in New Delhi on Friday. - Photo: V.V. Krishnan
NEW DELHI, JAN. 25. A day ahead of Republic Day, the former Indian Air Force chief, Arjan Singh, has been made the first-ever Marshal of the Indian Air Force in recognition of the extraordinary services rendered by him towards the development of the IAF into a highly professional service. He will receive the honorary rank from the President, K. R. Narayanan, tomorrow.
The two recipients of the Field Marshal rank so far - Sam Manekshaw and K. M. Cariappa - were from the army.
The rank has been conferred on Arjan Singh, a full 33 years after his retirement as the IAF chief. Born in 1919, he was selected for pilot's training at Cranwell, the U.K., and was commissioned in the Royal Indian Air Force in late 1939. He was among the few to have been conferred with Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his outstanding leadership in the Burma campaign during the Second World War.
He was appointed the Chief of Air Staff in July 1964 and was the first IAF Chief to be promoted to the rank of Air Chief Marshal in December 1965 in recognition of his handling of the IAF during the Indo-Pak war. During his six-year tenure,
he brought about critical changes in the structure and functioning of the IAF to help chart a path of strong professional growth.
Air Chief Marshal Singh was India's High Commissioner to Kenya, a member of the Minorities Commission for four years and Lt. Governor of Delhi.
`A great honour'
PTI reports:
``It's a great honour to the Indian Air Force and to me,'' said Arjan Singh on becoming the first ever Marshal of the Indian Air Force. The conferment of the highest rank is a recognition of the vital role that airpower played in the current security environment world over, he said.
``It came quite as a surprise to me and I value it greatly'', the 84-year-old fighter pilot who has already been decorated with a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Padma Vibhushan said.
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