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Saturday, March 14, 2026
TopicChetak

Topic: Chetak

The troubled days of Assam 1983: a helicopter pilot recollects

In the hideous days of February 1983 Assam election, and ‘Nellie’ in particular, I witnessed peculiar happenings while doing the tasks of the Election Commission in our Chetak helicopter.

Ode to a powerful beast – What flying the Chetak is like at the daunting heights of Himalayas

For six decades now, the Chetak has been the backbone of the rotary wing fleets of the three military Services, BSF, many state governments and private aviation companies.

HAL choppers get defence ministry nod in bid to replace Cheetah & Chetak, Kamov hangs in balance

The 12 helicopters, six each for the Army and the IAF, will be delivered in August 2022.

Hamara Bajaj — the jingle that became a symbol of Indian pride

Owning a Bajaj scooter in the 1980s and 90s was a big deal for families, and the company sold it as the new image of exalted India.

Modi govt okays buying 111 helicopters for desperate Indian Navy

The govt has also approved the purchase of 150 artillery guns & 24 multi-role helicopters for the navy.

Spate of chopper crashes raises questions on crew safety and training

Ten service personnel have been killed in four chopper crashes this year, only one of which was an ageing helicopter, the Chetak.

On Camera

What India can learn from the US-Israel war on Iran

Without any air force or navy worth the name, both Iran and Ukraine have held two superpowers at bay.

Rich state, borrowed money: Karnataka’s growth story has a debt problem that is only getting worse

Karnataka contributes billions to national growth and FDI, but its own finances show a revenue deficit, spiralling interest costs, and liabilities crossing Rs 11.2 lakh crore.

Supreme Leader Mojtaba, the man Iran must keep alive & the secret force ‘tasked with it’—all about NOPO

The Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, or NOPO, was the only force Ali Khamenei trusted.It was founded in 1991 and is more feared than the Revolutionary Guards.

Peaceful power transfers followed uprisings in India’s neighbourhood. It’s a sign of mature democracies

Rating democracies is a tricky business. I am only using the simple metric of who in the Indian subcontinent has had the most peaceful, stable, normal political transitions and continuity.