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Odia IAF Officer Sqn Ldr Manisha Padhi becomes India’s First 1st Woman Aide-De-Camp (ADC)

Daughter of Bhubaneswar-based Meneka Padhi and Manoranjan Padhi who retired as an IAF officer, Manisha hails from Berhampur.

Odisha’s Manisha Padhi, a 2015 batch IAF Squadron Leader, has been appointed as India’s first woman Aide-De-Camp (ADC). Mizoram Governor Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati appointed her as his ADC on Wednesday. Padhi, currently serving as a Squadron Leader in the IAF, hails from Berhampur. Governor Kambhampati shared a video of appointing the officer to the key post on his ‘X’ handle.

“Hearty congratulations to Sqn Leader Manisha Padhi for being appointed as Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to the Governor of Mizoram. Sqn Leader Manisha is India’s first Woman Indian Armed Forces officer to be appointed as Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to the Governor in the country. My best wishes to her and may she excel in the sector with the expertise she has earned over the years,” the Governor wrote.

He further added that Manisha Padhi’s appointment is not just a milestone but a testament to the power of women breaking gender norms and excelling in different fields.“Let’s celebrate this remarkable achievement and continue to champion women’s empowerment in every sphere,” the Governor further stated. An ADC is a personal assistant or secretary to a person of high rank, including head of state.

Daughter of Bhubaneswar-based Meneka Padhi and Manoranjan Padhi who retired as an IAF officer, Manisha hails from Berhampur. An alumnus of CV Raman College of Engineering, she served in three different postings at Air Force stations in Bidar, Pune, and Bhatinda before her appointment as the ADC.
“She always drew inspiration from her father as a child and wanted to join the IAF,” said Meneka.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

₹2.23 lakh crore to buy 97 Tejas jets, 156 Prachand helicopters

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, clears the projects with the Ministry saying that 98 per cent of total procurement will be sourced from domestic industries.

The Union government on Thursday accorded an initial approval to defence acquisition projects worth ₹2.23 lakh crore that included procurement of 97 Tejas light combat aircraft and 156 Prachand combat helicopters, in a major move to significantly enhance the combat capabilities of the armed forces.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, cleared the projects at a time India is locked in a bitter military standoff with China at a number of friction points in eastern Ladakh for over three years.

Emphasis on domestic procurement

The Defence Ministry said 98 per cent of the total procurement worth ₹2.23 lakh crore will be sourced from domestic industries and that the move will give a substantial boost to the Indian defence industry in achieving the goal of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) in defence industry.

The DAC also approved a proposal of the Indian Air Force to upgrade its Su-30 fighter fleet by state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). It further accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) or initial approval for procurement of two types of anti-tank munitions namely area denial munition (ADM) Type-2 and Type-3.

The top body on procurement of military hardware also cleared acquisition and integration of automatic target tracker (ATT) and digital basaltic computer (DBC) for T-90 tanks besides approving another proposal to buy medium range anti-ship missiles (MRAShM) for the Indian Navy.

The MRAShM is a lightweight surface-to-surface missile which will be a primary offensive weapon onboard various Indian naval ships.

“The DAC accorded AoNs for procurement of Light Combat Helicopter for Indian Air Force and Indian Army and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A for IAF from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category,” the Ministry said.

Though it did not mention the specific numbers, official sources said 97 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (Mark 1A) are being procured for the IAF and 156 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) are being procured for the Army and the IAF.

In February 2021, the Defence Ministry sealed a ₹48,000 crore deal with the HAL for procurement of 83 Tejas MK-1A jets for the IAF. With the additional fleet, the number of indigenously-developed Tejas aircraft being procured by the IAF would go up to 180.

“The AoNs have also been accorded by the DAC for upgradation of Su-30 MKI aircraft indigenously from HAL. While procurement of these equipment will provide enormous strength to the IAF, acquisition from domestic defence industries will take the indigenous capability to a new height,” the Ministry said in a statement.

“It will also reduce dependability on foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) substantially,” it added.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)