14 December 2025 Ahmedabad: Air Force Association Gujarat Branch is organising Ninth edition of Late Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon PVC Annual Memorial Lectures with two senior veteran Defence Officers sharing insights on the post Operation Sindoor scenario and related strategic aspects of National Security at Neelambar Auditorium, HQ SWAC, Gandhinagar on 14 December 2025.
Incidentally, it is on this fateful day of 14th December, fifty four years back, that Late Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon PVC brave son of our country sacrificed his life for protecting the Srinagar Airfield for halting the advance of Pakistan Army in Kashmir. To commemorate this event “Sekhon IAF Marathan-2025” was held on 02 November 2025 at more than 60 places Pan India with over-whelming response.
Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor SYSM PVSM AVSM VM, AOC-in-C, HQ SWAC, Gandhinagar is the Chief Guest of the event. He was awarded with Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal (SYSM) by President of India for his visionary leadership in decimating the adversary in south-western front of the country without any war related damage to our country in his area of responsibility during Operation Sindoor. This in fact is a matter of great pride to the country & especially to the state of Gujarat.
The speakers, their present appointment and topics of lecture are as follows:
(a) Lieutenant General Dushyant Singh PVSM AVSM (Retd), Director General, Centre for Land Warfare Studies – “Operation Sindoor – Takeaway and Way Forward”.
(b) Air Vice Marshal Anil Golani (Retd), Director General, Centre for Air Power and Strategic Studies – “Operation Sindoor – Rewriting the India- Pakistan Rule Book”.
Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon is the sole member of the Indian Air Force to be awarded the Param Vir Chakra (PVC). It was in honour of his courage, valour and flying skills in engaging Pakistan F-86 jets in unequal combat during the 1971 war. His aircraft was shot down by the gunfire of one of the F-86 Sabre jets and he was martyred.
It takes tremendous courage and resilience to face the kind of threats that we do terrorist, maritime and border threats and remain on the path of long-term peace and economic stability said by Veteran Air Marshal Desai PVSM AVSM VSM (Retd) President Air Force Association, Gujarat Branch. That is the reason behind naming the Annual Memorial Lectures after Flying Officer Sekhon. The event is to create public awareness on post Operation Sindoor Scenario and Country’s shifting posture towards such terrorism threats from reactive to pro-active denials.
The Air Force Association (AFA) Gujarat is a registered association of retired Indian Air Force personnel established by Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh, DFC (Retired) (Marshal of the Indian Air Force). Air Force Association Gujarat today, has over 1,10,000 members, including over 8000 widows.
Air Force Association Gujarat Branch was established in 2007 and is managed by a panel of Ex Air Force Personnel and their families settled in Gujarat in the form of financial and legal assistance to ex-servicemen and their families, including widows and children.
