Army chief Bipin Rawat flies in home-grown Tejas, calls it 'wonderful' aircraft
Bengaluru, Feb 21: Army chief General Bipin Rawat Thursday took to the skies in the home-grown Light Combat Aircraft Tejas at the Aero India show here and described the French fighter jet as a "wonderful aircraft" that would add to the air power.
Sitting behind the pilot in a two-seater trainer variant of the Tejas, General Rawat took a sortie, a day after the HAL-made fighter jet received the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) at the air show, signalling that it was combat ready.
"Flight in LCA Tejas was an experience of a lifetime," General Rawat said, after a 40-minute sortie in the skies above the Yelahanka Air Force Station, north of Bengaluru.
Describing the LCA ride as "a wonderful experience," the Army chief said "From what I could witness, avionics are very good.Its targeting is very good.
We were doing normal manoeuvres. We did not do the loop," he said.
"If it gets added to the inventory, it will add to air power," said General Rawat, who is the first Army chief to fly in the agile, the smallest and lightest multi-role supersonic Tejas.
Tejas would replace the aging Jaguar and Mig-21 fleet.
After taking the sortie, General Rawat also flew in the HAL-made Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) at the air show.
The helicopter was piloted by Wg Cdr S John, HALs Test Pilot.
Terming the sortie in the LCH as an "experience of lifetime", the Army Chief said, it is suitable for the Army to take on adversaries in any terrain and different altitudes.
LCH is a 5.5-ton class, combat helicopter designed and developed by HAL, which is powered by two Shakti engines and inherits many technical features of the Advanced Light Helicopter.
The FOC Certificate and Release to Service Document (RSD) relating to Tejas were handed over to the Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa on the opening day of Aero India 2019 on Wednesday.
FOC involves addition of key capabilities to the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) aircraft which are Beyond Visual Range Missile capabilities,Air-to-Air Refuelling, Air-to-Ground FOC earmarked weapons and general flight envelope expansion.
Initial Operational Clearance for the aircraft was given in 2013 and IOC standard Aircraft were inducted into IAF No.45 Squadron in July 2016.
The IAF squadron has since flown over 1,500 sorties successfully on the aircraft.
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Iqra aims to create leaders for community: Syed Mohamed Beary at Annual Day in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: “The aim of Iqra is to create leaders for the community,” said Syed Mohamed Beary while presiding over the Annual Day 2026 and Hifz felicitation programme of Iqra Arabic School, highlighting the institution’s focus on leadership and long-term community development.
Presiding over the event, Syed Mohamed Beary, Chairman of the Moulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi Educational and Charitable Trust, Mangaluru, spoke at length about the journey of the institution since its launch in 2000. He recalled the early days of the school and said it was started with a clear vision to serve the community through education rooted in values. He expressed pride in how the institution has grown over the years, both in strength and in its role within the community.
He said Iqra Arabic School was not built only to provide basic education, but to nurture individuals who can take responsibility and guide society. According to him, the institution has consistently worked towards shaping students into capable leaders who can face present-day challenges while staying connected to their roots. He stressed that the focus has always been on building character along with knowledge.
The programme was compered by Moulana Farhan Nadwi, who introduced the vision of the institution and said the school strives to prepare leaders and scholars who can respond to modern challenges faced by the community.
Chief guest Moulana Maqbool Kobatte, Principal, Jamia Islamia Bhatkal, congratulated the students and their parents for completing the memorisation of the Qur’an. He said these Huffaz are part of Allah’s promise of preserving the Qur’an until the Day of Judgement. He described the Qur’an as a guide for life and said while recitation is important, it is equally necessary to practise its teachings. He also noted that in the race for worldly success, people are moving away from values such as humanity, brotherhood and unity.
Taha Mateen, Chairman and Managing Director of ACURA Speciality Hospital, said the community should not forget its Islamic roots and history. He recited lines of poetry by Iqbal: “Kabhi ae nawjawaan Muslim tadabbur bhi kiya tu ne, wo kya gardu tha tu jiska hai ek toota hua taara.” He stressed the need to understand the Qur’an and recognise its importance, and urged students to continue learning across different fields without stopping at any stage. He congratulated the students, parents and the management.
Dr. C P Habeeb Rahman, Chairman and Managing Director o Unity Health Complex, Mangaluru said there is a need for introspection within the Muslim community to understand what has gone wrong and why it has fallen behind despite contributing to global civilisation. He also spoke about the lack of leadership within the community.
Students presented cultural programmes based on Islamic teachings during the event. Two of the books authored by the students of the institution were also released during the event
A total of 18 students who completed Hifz this year were felicitated and presented with mementos by the guests. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Moulana Salim Khalifa, the principal of the institution.
