Idris Hasan Latif

Air Chief Marshal Idris Hasan Latif PVSM
10th Chief of Air Staff
In office 01 September 1978 – 31 August 1981
President	Neelam Sanjiva Reddy[1]
Prime Minister	Morarji Desai[2]
Preceded by	Hrushikesh Moolgavkar
Succeeded by	Dilbagh Singh
Governor of Maharashtra
In office 6 March 1982 – 16 April 1985
Preceded by	Air Chief Marshal O P Mehra
Succeeded by	Kona Prabhakara Rao
Indian Ambassador to France
In office April 1985 – August 1988
Preceded by	Mr. Narendra Singh
Succeeded by	Mrs. Soonu Kochhar
Personal details
Born	(1923-06-09)9 June 1923 Hyderabad, Hyderabad State, British Raj
Died	30 April 2018(2018-04-30) (aged 94) Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Alma mater	Nizam College Defence Services Staff College
Awards	Param Vishist Seva Medal (PVSM)
Military service
Allegiance	British Raj (1941–1947)  India (1947–1988)
Service/branch	Indian Air Force  Indian Air Force
Years of service	1941–1988
Rank	Air Chief Marshal Service No. 1804
Commands	Chief of Air Staff 1978-1981 Vice Chief of Air Staff Maintenance Command Central Air Command No. 4 Squadron
Battles/wars	World War II Indo-Pakistan War of 1947 Sino-Indian War Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 Indo-Pakistan War of 1971

Air Chief Marshal Idris Hasan Latif (9 June 1923^[3] – 30 April 2018) was the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) of the Indian Air Force, having served as such from 1978 to 1981.^[4] After retirement, he has also served as the governor of the Indian state of Maharashtra (1982–85) and later as the Indian ambassador to France (until 1988).^[4][5] He was the first and only Indian Muslim to become the head of the Indian Air Force, or of any Indian armed forces branch.^[6]

Early life and education

Latif was born in Hyderabad, Telangana in 1923. His father was Hasan Latif, chief engineer of the erstwhile Hyderabad State.^[7] He was educated at Nizam College, Hyderabad, and was also a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College. Wellington, and the National Defence College.

Military career

Air Chief Marshal Latif was commissioned into the Royal Indian Air Force in 1942, and took part in the Burma Campaign on the Arakan Front during World War II.^[4] Later, he was a member of the Indian Advisory Group to Indonesia that helped the Indonesian Air Force induct jet fighters. Latif also served as Air Defence commander and as a Senior Air staff officer in the Eastern Air Command. From 1961 to 1965, Latif was the air attaché at the Indian embassy in Washington, D.C.^[4] During the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war, he was Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (plans).

In 1971, he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal. In 1974, Latif was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal and posted as air officer in charge, administration, at Air Headquarters. He led Air Force relief operations during the Patna floods in 1975. In 1977, then Air Marshal Latif was posted as vice chief of air staff and took over as chief of air staff on 1 September 1978.

Later career

After retirement from active military service, Air Chief Marshal IH Latif was appointed as Governor of the Indian State of Maharashtra, on 6 March 1982, completing his tenure on 16 April 1985. Following this, Air Chief Marshal IH Latif was appointed Ambassador of India to France, a post he held until 1988. Following his later government service he resided in Hyderabad.^[8][9]

Personal life

He was married to Bilkees I. Latif, a noted social worker, and daughter of Ali Yavar Jung.^[10] She died in 2017, a year before her husband's death in 2018.^[11] The couple is survived by two sons and a daughter.^[12]

References