Air Marshal Rakesh K Singh assumes charge as Vice Chief of IAF
New Delhi, May 1: Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria Wednesday assumed charge as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, succeeding Air Marshal Anil Khosla.
Air Marshal Singh, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, was commissioned in the fighter stream of IAF on 15 Jun 1980.
He has over 4,250 hours of flying experience on 26 types of fighters and transport aircraft.
Air Marshal Singh had done his Masters in Defence Studies from Command and Staff College, Bangladesh.
The Air Marshal has held a number of important positions in the IAF which included commanding a Jaguar squadron and heading a premier Air Force station.
He was extensively involved in the initial prototype flight tests on the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas.
Air Marshal Bhadauria was also the Air Attache at Indian embassy, Moscow. Prior to assuming charge as Vice Chief of IAF, he was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Training Command.
During his career, he was commended by the Chief of Air Staff and has been awarded Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vayu Sena Medal.
Air Marshal Khosla retired on Monday after an illustrious career spanning four decades.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
