Air chief warns IAF officers to prepare for 'uncalled threat'

May 20, 2017

New Delhi, May 20: Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa, the Chief of Air Staff, has written a personal letter to each officer in the Indian Air Force, asking them 'to be prepared for operations with our present holdings, at a very short notice'.

Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa sent the letter on March 30 when the increasing number of terror attacks on military camps and the rising public unrest in Jammu and Kashmir caused serious concern in the government.

"In the present scenario, there is an ever persistent sub-conventional threat. Therefore, we need to be prepared for operations with our present holdings, at a very short notice. Training needs to be focused towards this," said the letter sent to nearly 12,000 officers of the IAF.

Though Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa did not mention Pakistan by name, his reference to the 'sub-conventional threat' was seen as a reference to the 'proxy war' by the Pakistan.

This is the first time that an IAF chief has written a personal letter to all officers, although two Army chiefs, Field Marshal (then General) K M Cariappa on May 1, 1950 and General K Sundarji on February 1, 1986 have sent a personal letter to their men.

Alluding to the Air Force facing a shortage of manpower and equipment, the IAF chief said, "There is no choice but to stay abreast of new technological advancements both own as well as that of our adversaries. Only then will we come out with war-winning, out of the box solutions."

The Air Chief Marshal's reference to making the optimum use of "our present holdings" appeared to underscore the fact the IAF, which is authorised to have 42 squadrons of fighter aircraft, has now only 33 squadrons.

Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa, who took as IAF chief on December 31 last year, also asked his officers to be "combat effective professionals," saying that "in the recent past, there have been instances and occasions where lack of professionalism has shown the IAF in poor light."

Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa said "we have been witness to a few instances of 'favouritism' in the selection of officers for prime assignments and promotions" adding, "This is something we can ill afford."

He also warned the erring officials saying, "abusive behaviour, resorting to physical intimidation and behaviour amounting to sexual harassment by seniors is not acceptable."

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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