92nd Indian Air Force Day Celebration at Marina Beach, Chennai
Important Day
6 min read
The Indian Air Force celebrated its 92nd foundation day on 8 October 2024 with a grand show at Marina Beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Indian Air Force Chief Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh, and other dignitaries witnessed the grand air show.
The Indian Air Force was founded by the British on 8 October 1932. Air Force Day is observed to honour the sacrifice of Indian Air Force personnel, celebrate the Indian Air Force's achievements, and acknowledge its role in protecting and safeguarding the nation's skies from enemies.
The Union Defence Ministry traditionally celebrated Air Force Day at the Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. However, in 2022, the Narendra Modi government decided that the celebration would be rotated across the country every year.
In 2022, the Air Force Day Celebration was held at Chandigarh Air Base.
The 2023 Air Force Day was held at the Prayagraj Air Base, Uttar Pradesh.
Theme of the Indian Air Force Day 2024
The Indian Air Force theme for the 2024 Air Force Day is 'Bhartiya Vayu Sena: Saksham, Sashakt, Atmanirbhar” (potent, powerful, and self-reliant).'
History of the Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is currently the fourth-largest Air Force in the world in terms of personnel and aircraft after the United States, Russia, and China.
The Indian Air Force was set up as the Royal Indian Air Force on 8 October 1932 by the British.
In January 1950, after independence, the Royal was dropped, and the force was renamed the Indian Air Force.
After independence, the government appointed a British Air Marshal, Sir Thomas Elmhirst (15 Aug 1947-22 February 1950), as the chief of the Indian Air Force.
The first Indian to be appointed as the head of the Indian Air Force was Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee( 01 April 1954- 8 November 1960).
Command Structure of the Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is one of the three armed forces of India, along with the Indian Army and the Indian Navy. The President of India is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces, including the Indian Air Force.
The headquarters of all three wings of the Indian armed forces, including the Indian Air Force, is in New Delhi.
The Indian Air Force has five operational commands located at strategic positions nationwide. It also has one Training command and one Maintenance command, which are headed by an officer of the rank of Air Marshal.
|
Serial No |
Indian Air Force Command’s |
Headquarters |
|
1 |
Western Air Command |
Delhi |
|
2 |
South-Western Air Command |
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) |
|
3 |
Central Air Command |
Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) |
|
4 |
Eastern Air Command |
Shillong (Meghalaya ) |
|
5 |
Southern Air Command |
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) |
|
6 |
Training Command |
Bengaluru (Karnataka) |
|
7 |
Maintenance Command |
Nagpur (Maharashtra) |
Tragedy at the Marina Beach
A tragedy occurred at the marina beach on 6 October 2024 during the air show held by the Indian Air Force on the eve of its 92nd Air Force Day. Five people died, and many were hospitalised due to suffocation as around 12 lakh people turned out to witness the grand Air Force show on 6 October.
The tragedy occurred when people started leaving the area after the end of the show. Due to its narrow exit route, a stampede occurred, which led to the death of five people.
The Tamil Nadu government has announced a compensation of Rs 5 Lakhs to the families of the person killed during the stampede.
