Question

Read the following passage and do the activities:

B1. Arrange the following sentences according to their occurrence in the passage.     [2]

1. Arjan Singh was appointed as the Vice - Chief of the Air Staff.
2. Arjan Singh led a fly-past over Red Fort.
3. Arjan Singh completed his second tenure as AOC.
4. Arjan Singh was appointed Deputy Chief of Air Staff.

For his role in successfully leading the squadron in combat, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in 1944. On August 15, 1947, he achieved the unique honour of leading a fly-past of over a hundred IAF aircraft over the Red Fort in Delhi. After his promotion to the rank of Wing Commander, he attended the Royal Staff College at the UK. Immediately after Indian independence, he commanded Ambala in the rank of Group Captain. In 1949, he was promoted to the rank of Air Commodore and took over as Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of an operational command, which later came to be known as Western Air Command. Singh had the distinction of having the longest tenure as AOC of an operational base, initially from 1949-1952 and then again from 1957-1961. After his promotion to the rank of Air Vice Marshal, he was appointed as the AOC-in-C of an operational command. Towards the end of the 1962 war, he was appointed as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and he became the Vice Chief of the Air Staff in 1963. He was the overall commander of the joint air training exercise “Shiksha” held between IAF, RAF (Royal Air Force) and RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force).

B2. How did independent India recognize and honour the Arjan Singh?     [2]

B3. Match the column A with column B.     [2]

i. Tenure	at the beginning.
ii. Commanded	To complete something by hard work.
iii. Initially	Term of holding an office.
iv. Achieved	to give an authoritative order.

B4. Do as directed.     [2]

1. Rewrite the sentence with ‘not only.....but also’ 
   He was promoted to the rank of Air Commodore and took over as Air Officer.
2. Add a question tag.
   Arjan Singh achieved the unique honour of leading a fly–past.

B5. What are the ways through which we can serve the nation in its defence?     [2]

Answer 1

B1.

b. Arjan Singh led a fly-past over Red Fort.

c. Arjan Singh completed his second tenure as AOC.

d. Arjan Singh was appointed as the Vice - Chief of the Air Staff.

a. Arjan Singh was appointed Deputy Chief of Air Staff.

B2. Independent India honoured Arjan Singh by giving him the unique honour of leading a fly-past of over a hundred IAF aircraft over the Red Fort in Delhi on August 15, 1947, immediately following independence. Additionally, he was promoted through various high-ranking positions, eventually reaching the rank of Air Chief Marshal, and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his leadership during the 1965 war.

B3.

i. Tenure	Term of holding an office.
ii. Commanded	To give an authoritative order.
iii. Initially	At the beginning.
iv. Achieved	To complete something by hard work.

B4.

1. He was not only promoted to the rank of Air Commodore but also took over as Air Officer.
2. Arjan Singh achieved the unique honour of leading a fly–past, didn’t he?

B5. We can serve the nation in its defence in several ways:

• Direct Service: Joining the armed forces (Army, Navy, or Air Force) as a career or through programs like the NCC.
• Technological Contribution: Working in research and development for defence technologies, cybersecurity, or aerospace engineering.
• Awareness and Preparedness: Promoting national unity, remaining vigilant against misinformation, and supporting the families of defence personnel.
• Professional Expertise: Contributing civil expertise in medicine, engineering, or logistics during national emergencies or conflicts to support the defence infrastructure.