Air Marshal M Baladitya, VSM, who has been conferred with the prestigious Presidential award of ‘Ati Vishisht Seva Medal’ on the Republic Day, formally received the Medal from President Ram Nath Kovind at a glittering ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.

It was particularly a proud moment for Chhattisgarh as Air Marshal Baladitya did his schooling and graduation in two of the state’s premier educational institutes.

Currently he is serving as senior maintenance staff officer (SMSO) at HQ Maintenance Command, Nagpur.

Basant Kumar B Pande, group captain and public relation officer, defence ministry, informed that Baladitya did his schooling from South Eastern Railway English Medium School at Bilaspur apart from the Bishop Cotton School, Nagpur.  He graduated in 1981 from the CMD College, another noted educational institution in Bilaspur. 

Air Marshal Baladitya joined the Indian Air Force in 1982.  He is the first armed forces officer to attain the three-star rank of Air Marshal from Chattisgarh.  He was commissioned in 1983 in the logistics branch of the Indian Air Force.

He possesses Master’s Degree in Defence Studies and is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and National Defence College, New Delhi, Pandey said.

He has held several command and staff appointments both at field units and Air headquarters during his ongoing career.

The Air Marshal is a keen sportsman and represented Services in Nationals in Squash. He was the Air Force’s squash champion on five occasions, Pandey added.