
Rajasthan IAF Jaguar crash: Pilot Lokender Singh, killed in mishap, had become father a month ago; family in shock in Rohtak
CHANDIGARH: One of the young pilots of Indian Air Force (IAF) who died on Wednesday in IAF's Jaguar aircraft crash in Rajasthan, Squadron Leader Lokender Singh had become father a month ago.
He was originally a resident of Dev colony area of Rohtak district in Haryana. Lokender was married during the COVID-19 period, and only on June 10, his wife gave birth to a son at her parental home in Hisar.
At the time of the tragic incident, when the news of her husband's demise reached her, his wife was still at her parents' home in Hisar. He was commissioned into IAF as fighter pilot in 2016.
The 33 years old officer was youngest among three siblings.
His elder brother is serving in MNC, sister has recently completed her tenure as short service commissioned officer in the IAF.
Joginder Singh Sindhu, one of the family members of the officer, told TOI that Lokender was a bright student from childhood and had completed his education and training from NDA.
His father retired as superintendent from MDU Rohtak and mother was a teacher. The family belongs to Kheri-Sadh village on Rohtak-Delhi road but were living in Rohtak city for a long time.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Aadi Pattam: a spotlight on volunteers from Chennai who green neighbourhoods
The pandemic had two contrasting effects on newly sprouted initiatives. Some went into a tailspin and never recovered from it. And there were others that got their tail up, the pandemic years, strangely, providing them with a conducive environment for growth. Deepa Lakshmi and her husband K. Mohanasundaram had barely started a hyperlocal greening exercise around their moorings in Mogappair East when the pandemic struck. Now, Deepa Lakshmi is an English teacher at Chennai Higher Secondary School on Subbrayan Street in Shenoy Nagar, and in addition to her teaching role, serves as in-charge headmistress of the school. While latching the doors of the school (and taking the classes online), the pandemic threw wide open the door to environment action. Deepa Lakshmi seized that opportunity. 'It all started during COVID. There was so much free time,' recalls Deepa Lakshmi, co-founder of a voluntering force called Team Green. 'We used to water the few plants we had, and then one day, we just planted some saplings. Neighbours noticed, and slowly people started joining us.' The streets in the neighbourhood saw more green; and then the streets beyond the neighbourhood did. What began as a simple act became a habit not just for this duo and their neighbours in Mogappair East, but also for many eco-conscious people elsewhere in Chennai. Team Green — as this group of sapling-toting volunteers are called — has expanded to Perungudi, Keelkattalai, Madipakkam, Gated Communities in OMR, Perumbakkam, Tiruvottiyur and Thirumullaivoyal. Team Green provides saplings of native trees for free to residents and individuals upon request — a huge volume of such requests being honoured on special days such as Environment Day — but not before extracting a promise from them. The recipient has to take a vow to never abandon the saplings. They would be put through a wringer of questions, much like someone adopting a puppy would be before taking the bundle of fur home. A quick run-through of the posers high up on the questionnaire: who will be responsible for the care of the saplings? Has proper soil preparation been done? The interviewee will find themselves being edified about plant care. Team Green does not leave anything to chance. A volunteer would one day invite themselves to the recipient's stomping ground to see how the saplings are coming along. This stringent process weeds out dilettantes, and brings on board only those extremely keen on greening their neighbourhoods and personal spaces. Residents interested in greening their patches constitute much of the demand. Colleges (through their outreach wings such as NSS units) also seek saplings for their environmental initiatives. Team Green provides saplings for free, except when they do not have the saplings of a specific tree species that has been sought. In such an event, they help procure it from a nursery, with the cost being borne by the one making the request. Vidiyal: an offshoot Deepa Lakshmi is part of a force driving an initiative called Vidiyal, which splices women's empowerment with environment action. Vidiyal is designed in a manner that gets groups of three to four women from an underprivileged background to gather every day at a designated school to nurture saplings. They are provided with soil, seeds and used milk packets, these materials having been collected and supplied by Team Green volunteers. The women work from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., nurturing saplings and starting new ones with the soil and seeds. In case you are wondering what the milk packets are for: they serve as coverings for the saplings. Currently, around 15 to 20 women are engaged in this work on a full-time basis. The project operates on a community-supported model where volunteers contribute financially to pay the women for their efforts. For instance, a donation of ₹900 is enough to pay three women ₹300 each for a day's work. Those who wish to support just one person can contribute ₹300. Deepa mentions that they never have to actively seek sponsors, as there is always a steady flow of generous volunteers who come forward to pitch in and help sustain the project. Deepa notes that Team Green is not an NGO, only a scattered but tightly-knit group of individual volunteers. The volunteering group functions on its own except for collaborations with Exnora from time to time. Deepa finds the most supportive volunteer in her hearth: her husband Mohanasundaram who has handed over the reins of his earthmoving business to his team, distancing himself from its day-to-day activities and thereby freeing up time for Team Green's activities. For details about Team Green and its activities, call 9042594891 / 6379072259


Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Indian Air Force Agniveer Vayu 2025 recruitment begins: Check direct link, eligibility and steps to apply here
The has officially opened the registration window for Agniveer Vayu Intake 02/2026 under the Agnipath scheme. Aspiring candidates can now apply online at from July 11 to July 31, 2025. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This recruitment drive offers a prestigious opportunity for young Indian men and women to join the Air Force for a four-year term, with potential for absorption into regular service based on performance. Candidates must ensure they meet all eligibility criteria, including educational qualifications, age limit, and physical standards, before applying. The selection process involves an online test, physical fitness test, and medical examination. IAF Agniveer Vayu eligibility criteria To register online, candidates must fulfil the following eligibility criteria: Age Limit: Candidates must be between 17.5 and 21 years of age at the time of enrollment. Date of birth should fall between July 2, 2005, and January 3, 2009 (both inclusive). Educational Qualification: Science Stream: 10+2 with Physics, Mathematics, and English with at least 50% marks in aggregate and 50% in English. 10+2 with Physics, Mathematics, and English with at least 50% marks in aggregate and 50% in English. OR 3-year Engineering Diploma with minimum 50% overall and 50% in English. Non-Science Stream: 10+2 in any subject with 50% in aggregate and 50% in English. 10+2 in any subject with 50% in aggregate and 50% in English. OR 2-year vocational course with the same marks requirement. Physical Standards: Minimum height: 152.5 cm 152.5 cm Weight and chest measurements should be proportionate. Visual standards and hearing ability must meet Air Force norms. How to apply for Indian Air Force Agniveer Vayu 2025 Here is how to register online: Visit Register with a valid email ID and mobile number. Log in and select "Intake 02/2026". Fill the form with personal, academic, and contact details. Upload documents: Passport-size photo Signature Left thumb impression 10th & 12th/Diploma certificates Pay the fee of ₹550 + GST via online payment methods. Submit the form and download the confirmation page. Direct link to apply online . Admit cards for the online test will be available around 2–3 days before the exam and must be printed with ID proof to attend. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us .


Time of India
20 hours ago
- Time of India
From failing Class 11 to IIT Roorkee: Panipuri seller's son shows why failure is never final
Harsh Gupta is nineteen and grew up in Kalyan, Maharashtra. This week he learned that he will start classes at IIT Roorkee after clearing JEE Advanced on his second try. The result has put him at the centre of an online wave of praise and curiosity. A modest home and a big dream Harsh lives with his parents, grandmother and two younger brothers in a two-room chawl. His father, Santosh Gupta, runs a roadside panipuri cart that covers basic bills but little more. Money for coaching and tests often came from small loans and emptied savings jars. Health kept getting in the way Class 11 was a disaster. Harsh failed because recurring rectal prolapse forced him to miss exams and spend days in hospital beds. The condition still flares up, but treatment and strict routines now keep it under control. Learning about IIT after Class 10 Unlike many aspirants who target the exam from middle school, Harsh first heard the term 'IIT' during the Covid lockdown. A teacher showed him videos about engineering campuses. Curiosity turned into a plan. Kota, second chances and long hours With his family's backing, Harsh moved to Kota and joined Motion Education. Hostel walls and coaching timetables replaced home comforts. He studied up to twelve hours a day, cleared Class 12, and posted a 98.9 percentile in JEE Main. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like So sánh mức trượt giá: Hợp đồng tương lai (CFD) Bitcoin vs Ethereum IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo His first shot at JEE Advanced fell short. He took a gap year, tried again, and secured an all-India rank near sixteen thousand, enough for IIT Roorkee. Keeping critics at arm's length Relatives and classmates once joked that a street-food vendor's son could never reach an IIT. Harsh stopped listening. He says the real pressure came only from himself and the thought of his father pushing that cart until midnight. A message for other students 'Do not let a single failure write your story,' he told reporters after the results. 'Get help, rest if you are sick, then start again.' He adds that low-cost online lectures and public libraries filled many gaps when money for extra material ran out. What happens next Harsh has been allotted geotechnical engineering but hopes to slide into geophysical engineering in a later round. Long term he wants to sit for the civil-services exam and work on infrastructure projects in small towns like his own. For now the family is planning the long train ride to Roorkee and saving for a basic laptop. 'I will keep the cart going,' Santosh Gupta said, 'but my son will not push it.' Harsh's journey is a reminder that steady effort can outlast illness, poverty and even an early failure stamp on a report card. The road was built one small step at a time, and it leads straight into an IIT classroom this August. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!