Air Marshal A P Singh to take charge as new Chief of Air Staff on Sep 30
New Delhi, Sep 21: Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh, an accomplished fighter pilot with more than 5,000 hours of flying experience, will take charge as the chief of the Indian Air Force on September 30, succeeding incumbent Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari.
Air Marshal Singh is presently serving as Vice Chief of the Air Staff. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari will retire on September 30 after helming the force for three years.
"The government has appointed Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh, PVSM, AVSM, presently serving as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, as the next Chief of the Air Staff, in the rank of Air Chief Marshal, with effect from the afternoon of September 30," the defence ministry said.
As Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Singh's priorities are expected to be the procurement of new fighter fleets and advancing the modernisation agenda of the force in view of the fast-evolving regional security landscape, including the challenges along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
The number of the IAF's fighter squadrons has come down to around 30 as against the authorised strength of at least 42.
The air warrior played a key role in the IAF's hosting of the multinational wargame 'Tarang Shakti' recently.
Known as a fine strategist, Air Marshal Singh, in a message to the DRDO and other agencies apparently over delays in delivery of Tejas jets and other military systems, said publicly at an event in July that self-reliance in defence cannot be at the cost of national security.
Born on October 27, 1964, Air Marshal Singh was commissioned into the fighter pilot stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1984.
In his long and distinguished service spanning nearly 40 years, he has served in a variety of command, staff, instructional and foreign appointments.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College and National Defence College, the air officer is a qualified flying instructor and an experimental test pilot with more than 5,000 hours of flying experience on a variety of fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
The officer has commanded an operational fighter squadron and a frontline air base.
As a test pilot, he led the MiG-29 upgrade project management team in Moscow. He was also the project director (flight test) at the National Flight Test Centre and was tasked with flight testing of the Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas.
Air Marshal Singh is taking charge of the IAF amid concerns over delays in the supply of LCA Tejas-Mark 1A variant to the force by state-run aerospace giant Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
The officer has held important staff appointments of Air Defence Commander at South Western Air Command and Senior Air Staff Officer at Eastern Air Command.
Prior to assuming the charge of Vice Chief of the Air Staff in February last year, he was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command.
The Air Marshal is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. He is known as a fitness enthusiast who also plays squash.
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Ghaziabad woman alleges harassment for dowry, demand to maintain body like actor Nora Fatehi
Ghaziabad: A 26-year-old woman from Ghaziabad has filed a complaint against her husband and in-laws, accusing them of harassment, body shaming, and demanding dowry. In her complaint, the woman alleges that her husband repeatedly told her she should resemble Bollywood actor Nora Fatehi and body-shamed her for not meeting these expectations.
The woman, a resident of Muradnagar, was married six months ago, with her family reportedly spending over Rs 76 lakh on the wedding. In addition to the lavish wedding, the woman’s family gifted her husband a Mahindra Scorpio, along with cash and jewellery. Despite these expenses, the woman claims her in-laws continued to harass her, demanding more dowry.
The complainant, whose husband is a physical education teacher at a government school, further alleges that he frequently body-shamed her, calling her “fat and ugly.” He allegedly insisted that she exercise for three hours a day, and when she failed to comply, she was deprived of food.
The situation took a darker turn when the woman found she was pregnant two months ago. According to her statement, she informed her mother-in-law, but received no response or support. The woman reportedly claims that her husband later gave her a pill, which she later identified online as being used for abortions. She alleges that when her health began to deteriorate, her in-laws sent her back to her parents’ home. After seeking medical attention, she was informed by doctors that she had suffered a miscarriage.
She also alleged that her husband frequently watched inappropriate content online and was a habitual womaniser.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Saloni Agarwal confirmed that an FIR has been filed at the women’s police station in Ghaziabad and an investigation is underway.
