The Indian Air Force is one of the most formidable air forces in the world. Ever since its inception in 1933, the Indian Air Force has proved its mettle in various wartime and peacetime missions. With special focus on developing indigenous capabilities, India is further trying to turn the IAF into a modern, agile and powerful force in the world.

The Tejas is the second supersonic Light Combat Aircraft developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

India is building the 5th generation Sukhoi PAK FA in collaboration with Russia.

The IAF got its first woman Air Marshal in the form of Padmavathy Bandopadhyay.

She was the Director General Medical Services (Air) at the Air Headquarters.

 Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon is the only IAF officer to have been honoured with the Param Vir Chakra.

He was awarded posthumously for his act of conspicuous gallantry in the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

The Air Force has over 60 air bases spread all over India.

These are grouped into 7 commands.

With 16 air bases, the Western Air Command is the largest Air Command.

The smallest is the Central Air Command with 7 bases.

 Yes, the IAF has a base in a foreign country!

IAF has a base in Farkhor, Tajikistan. Its only base outside India.

 At 22,000 ft (or 6,706 m), Siachen Glacier AFS is the highest Air Force Station of the IAF.

 The indigenously built HAL Light Combat Helicopter will be in service by December 2015.

It is faster and more agile than most other contemporary Combat Helicopters.

The Indian Air Force actually never directly engaged the Pakistani Air Force in 1947 war.

But was instrumental in transport of troops of Indian Army and air support.

The Indian Navy was handed one of its most potent warships today, the INS Kochi. The guided missile destroyer was commissioned by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. Here are 10 things you need to know about the Navy's latest surface ship.

INS Kochi is the largest India-made warship.

The warship is designed by the Navy's in-house organisation, Directorate of Naval Design, and it is constructed by Mazagon Dock Ship builders Ltd in Mumbai.

It has displacement of 7,500 tons and it is 164 metres in length and 17 metres at the beam.

The ship is propelled by four gas turbines and designed to achieve speeds in excess of 30 knots.

INS Kochi is packed with an array of state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, with a significant indigenous component.

The 7,500-tonne INS Kochi, the second of the three Kolkata-class destroyers being built at Mazagaon Docks (MDL) at Mumbai for over Rs 4,000 crore apiece, is the 10th destroyer in India's combat fleet.

 Often called ‘The Switzerland of the East’ due to its scenic beauty, Nagaland is one of the most scenic hill stations in the North-East. Bordered by Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Burma, this quaint state, with its diverse history and culture has retained its untouched beauty and grandeur.

Adorned by the magical beauty of rolling hills and mountains, lush vegetations and colourful cultures, this 16th state of India boasts of its pleasant climate, natural beauty and much more. Let’s have a look on the different things to do in Nagaland and plan a trip to the land of festivals.

Way To 'KOHIMA'....

Witness the Colourful Naga Cultures at the Hornbill Festival:

Also known as the ‘Festival of Festivals’, Hornbill Festival is the mostly enjoyed cultural meet in Nagaland. A riot of culture, music, folk dance and delicious cuisines, it is celebrated with full vigour and passion by all the Naga tribes. This year’s Hornbill celebration has already started on 1st December and will continue till the 10th of December.

Trek to the Dzoukou Valley:

Perched at a height of 2,462m above the sea level, this magical valley in Nagaland is one of the most quintessential destinations in the state. While in Nagaland, trek to this pictorial valley, adore its pristine beauty and also witness some of the rare and exotic species of lilies.

Witness the Aoling Festival:

One of the reasons why Nagaland is fondly called the ‘Land of Festivals’, Aoling Festival is the prime festival of the Konyak tribe. Celebrated to mark the advent of the New Year, the locales dress up in their traditional headgears, feather and other traditional attires.

Explore History with the Kachari Ruins:

Have a glimpse of Nagalands’s bygone history while visiting the ancient Kachari Ruins in Dimapur. A reminiscent of the 10th century Kachari Civilization, this heritage site tells the glorious tales of the state and its diverse history.

Visit the Kohima Museum:

Step back into the indigenous traditions and cultures of the Nagamse with a visit to the Kohima Museum. Showcasing artefacts and belongings to the ancient Naga tribes, visiting this museum is in fact one of the best things to do in Nagaland.

Live the Naga Way in Tuphema Village:

Standing on a magnificent hilltop, this tourist village is the epitome of traditional Naga life. Located around 41km from Kohima, the village has dedicated huts for the tourists with all the luxury and basic comforts of life.

Visit the War cemetery:

On your visit to Nagaland, pay your homage to the World War II martyrs. Fought between the British and Japanese soldiers, the cemetery serves as the resting ground for both the British and Japanese soldiers.

Wildlife Spotting in Intanki Wildlife Sanctuary:

On a visit to this wildlife sanctuary, you can spot some of the rare, indigenous and exotic species of Nagaland. Tiger, Golden Langur, Hornbill, Black Stork, Monitor Lizard, Sloth Bear and Python are amongst the most commonly found species in this park.

 There has been always a major drawback of Education system in India. What surprising is that our country has built IIMs, IITs, law schools, and academic institutes, yet the students in our country who score 90 % marks, find it tough to get admission in the college of their preference. Establishing new schools and colleges will not improve the standard of education in our country. Imparting education among the youth is very essential to build a better future of the country.

• One amongst nine children completes schooling and gets enrolled in a college. In comparison to US, India has the least higher education enrolment scenario ratio of 11 % whereas US comprise of 83% higher education scenario.
• To reach high enrolment ratio in 2012, the 11^th year estimated that our country needs to put in Rs 2, 26,410 crores but, unfortunately, only 77,933 crores, which is one- fourth of the total amount, are assigned.

• A survey illustrated that just one amongst ten students, who holds a degree in humanities, and only one amongst four engineering students, is employed in the country.
• The drop out ratio, among the teachers, was also common in the high standard of business schools such as the IITs’ faculty. The drop out ratio was about 20-30 %.
• A survey, conducted by the Accreditation Council and National Assessment, illustrated that 70 % universities and 90% Colleges were graded in low standards of education.

• It was found out that Indians spend $7 billion to study abroad in universities, due to lower standards of education in India. It is surprising when the government still allows universities from abroad, to establish in India.
• The standard of school education is extremely poor in India, especially in the north zone. On an everyday basis, there is not any teaching session in 50 % the primary schools.
• 50% of the nation’s population is lower than 25 years. Mostly, the age group consists in between 18 to 23; it signifies that the youngsters form the main population. Unfortunately, in India, youngsters are not well equipped with skills and knowledge that could contribute in the development of India.

The ASTROSAT is India's first observation satellite launched into orbit, to study distant celestial bodies. The reason you've been hearing about it so much is because it's India's first satellite of its kind, built at a cost of Rs 178 crore (excluding the cost of launching the satellite) and we're also ahead of a lot of other countries. So far, only USA, Japan, and a few countries in the EU have observatories in space.

 It's a satellite that we will use to remotely study celestial bodies and the behaviour of galaxies using radiation analysis. For the purpose, the ASTROSAT has 5 instruments on board: 

• UVIT : Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope
• LAXPC : Large Area X-rat Proportional Counter
• SXT : Soft X-ray Telescope
• CZTI : Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride Imager
• SSM : Scanning Sky Monitor

The first four instruments are what hep use observe a celestial body or phenomenon by recording the various types of radiation it gives off; from the visible spectrum, to infrared and ultraviolet radiation, and hard and soft x-rays. Therefore, these four are aligned to look at the same point in space at one time. The fifth instrument, the SSM, is in fact three small position sensitive x-ray detectors that continuously patrol the sky, looking for changes in the radiation from celestial objects, so that the the satellite can be rotated to point the other four instruments there. Think of the SSM as the scout for the satellite. Of course, this entire setup has to be in space because our atmosphere is largely opaque to ultraviolet radiation, x-rays, gamma rays and also parts of infrared and microwave radiation.

ASTROSAT will be studying various celestial bodies, as well as gathering data to hep us piece together how stars and galaxies are born. The satellite will undergo extensive tests for the first six months after launch. The next six will be devoted to observations and data collection predetermined by the mission team. But a year after launch, ASTROSAT's services will be available to any scientist in India, with a good proposal, reviewed by ISRO.
Once it passes the two-year mark, international scientists will be allowed to apply as well. Once a significant amount of time has passed for each bit of observation, the data will be made available to the public.

 Almost every city in Rajasthan is color coordinated. Jaipur is pink, Udaipur is white, Jodhpur is blue and Jhalawar is purple!

 

Jaipur was founded on 18th November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, a Kachawaha Rajput, who ruled from 1699-1744. Initially his capital was Amber (now pronounced as Amer), lies at a distance of 11 km from Jaipur. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II felt the need of shifting his capital city because of safety reasons as it was likely to be attacked by a Mughal King Bahadur Shah after the death of Aurangzeb.

Chittorgarh was one of the most fiercely contested seats of power in India. With its formidable fortifications, Bappa Rawal, the legendary founder of the Sisodia dynasty, received Chittor in the middle of the eighth century, as part of the last Solanki princess’s dowry. It crowns a seven-mile- long hill, covering 700 acres (280 hectares), with its fortifications, temples, towers and palaces. Chittorgarh Fort has received the credit of being the largest fort of India. The massive fort is located on a high hill near the Gambheri River in Chittorgarh. Chittorgarh Fort lies at a distance of 112 kms from the city of Udaipur in Rajasthan. This fort was built by various Maurya rulers in the 7th century. This huge fort covers an area of 700 acres, extending to 3 kms in length and 13 kms in peripheral length. Standing on an elevated hill of 180m, the impregnable fort has witnessed three battles.

he main places of tourist interest around the Chittorgarh Fort of Rajasthan in India are the two towers known as the ‘Kirti Stambh’ or Tower of Fame and the ‘Vijay Stambh’ or Tower of Victory. There are several temples, reservoirs and palaces constructed between the 9th and 17th centuries AD. There is a huge complex of Jain temples within the Chittorgarh Fort. A big water reservoir is close to the opening where Rani Padmini and other women are believed to have performed ‘jauhar’, an act of self-immolations by plunging in a large fire. Water flows out from a rock shaped in the form of cow’s mouth and is called ‘Gaumukh’. Other tourist spots worth visiting are the Bhimtal Tank, Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, Meera Temple, Kumbha Shyam Temple and Kalika Mata Temple dating back to the 8th century AD.