In recognition of the most valuable services to the Air Force and the country, the rank of Marshal of the Indin Air Force for life has been conferred on Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh, DFC (Retd) on Republic Day this year.

Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh, DFC (Retd) was born on May 15, 1919 at Lyallpur. He was educated at Montgomery and later at Government College, Lahore. In 1938, he was selected for pilot’s training at Cranwell, UK and was commissioned as a pilot in the Royal Indian Air Force in December 1939. He joined No. 1 Squadron at Ambala on Wapiti aircraft to be later converted to Hurricane. He took over as Commanding Officer of No. 1 Squadron in September 1943. He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross" in 1944 for his outstanding leadership in Burma Campaign during World War-II. At that point, the country was under the British rule and for an Indian to receive such a high honour was indeed a matter of pride.

He was promoted to the rank of Wing Commander in 1945 and attended the first course at Royal Staff College, Bracknell. After partition, as a Group Captain, he commanded Air Force Station, Ambala. In 1949, as an Air Commodore, he was appointed as Air Officer Commanding, Operational Command and, in 1952, he was appointed as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Operational Command. Subsequently, he held key appointments of AOA, DCAS and VCAS from 1958 to 1964. In 1960, he was selected for the Imperial Defence College, UK (later named as the Royal College of Defence Studies).

He was appointed as the Chief of the Air Staff in July 1964. He was the first chief to be promoted to the rank of Air Chief Marshal in December 1965. In recognition of his services of an extremely high order and for his leadership during the 1965 war against Pakistan, Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh was awarded Padma Vibhushan, the second highest national award. He retired from the Indian Air Force in July 1969. As the Chief of the Air Staff, he brought many significant changes in the structure and functioning of the Air Force. His outstanding leadership groomed the Indian Air Force.

Even after retirement, Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order to the nation for nearly two decades. During this period, he held various important positions which he served with exceptional success. He was Indian Ambassador in Switzerland from 1971 to 1974 and High Commissioner in Kenya from 1974 to 1977. He served as a member in the Minorities Commission (1974-77) and also as Chairman, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (1980-83). He also served as Director, Grindlays Bank (1981-88) and Lieutenant Governor of Delhi (1989-90).

Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh’s inspiring career and high reputation have endowed him with a unique stature in society and has earned him respect of the nation. Even today, he associates himself with various welfare activites of the Air Force as a father figure of the service he nurtured from the fledgling status.