Former IDSA director, leading strategic thinker Jasjit Singh passes away

One of India's leading strategic thinkers and former director of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), Air Commodore Jasjit Singh passed away from chest-related complications at a hospital in Gurgaon on Sunday. He was 78.

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The last rites of Air Commodore Singh were performed at Brar Square in Delhi Cantonment in the presence of both serving and retired officers of the three services.

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A professional to the core, Air Commodore Jasjit Singh taught flying to several officers, who eventually occupied senior positions in the Indian Air Force (IAF).

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After retiring from IDSA, Air Commodore Singh set up the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS), a think tank dedicated to modern and futurisitc air power trends.

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Air Commodore Singh also wrote and edited an astonishing number of books. As IDSA director, he also provided valuable inputs to the government about the likely global implications of the nuclear tests carried out in May 1998.

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Born 8 July, 1934, Air Commodore Jasjit Singh was awarded the Vir Chakra for displaying gallantry during the 1971 war against Pakistan. As Squadron Leader, he led an aerial attack and destroyed several Pakistani tanks and bunkers.

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In 2006, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam conferred the Padma Bhushan, the country's second highest civilian award, on him for his contributions to strategic thought.