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Vijay Karnik (IAF) Age, Career, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Vijay Karnik (IAF) Age, Career, Wife, Family, Biography & More

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Age: 80 Years

Wife: Usha Karnik

Hometown: Nagpur

Bio/Wiki
Full Name Vijay Kumar Karnik
Profession Retired Indian Air Force Personnel
Famous For Being in charge of the Bhuj airbase during the Indo-Pak War of 1971
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.) in centimeters**- 173 cm**
in meters**- 1.73 m**
in feet inches**- 5’ 8”**
Eye Colour Black
Hair Colour White
Military Service
Service/Branch Indian Air Force
Rank Wing Commander
Years of Service 1962-1986
Unit 6 Squadron
Wars/Battles • Sino Indian War (1962)
• Indo-Pakistan War (1965)
• Indo-Pakistan War (1971)
Personal Life
Date of Birth 6 November 1939 (Monday)
Age (as in 2019) 80 Years
Birthplace Nagpur, Maharashtra
Zodiac sign/Sun sign Scorpio
Nationality Indian
Hometown Nagpur, Maharashtra
School A local school of Nagpur
College/University Nagpur University, Wardha
Educational Qualification Bachelor's degree in Science
Religion Hinduism
Caste Maharashtrian Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) Community
Hobbies Playing Golf, Travelling, Gardening
Relationships & More
Marital Status Married
Marriage Date 20 February 1965
Family
Wife/Spouse Usha Karnik (Proprietor of a Shahnaz Husain franchise)
Children Son- Paresh Karnik (Works at the Times Group)


Daughter- Shalakaa Karnik (Director of a theatre group)
Parents Father- Srinivas Karnik (Indian Government Official)
Mother- Tarabai Karnik (Homemaker)
Siblings Brother(s)- 3
• Vinod Karnik (Major General)
• Laxman Karnik (Wing Commander)
• Ajay Karnik (Air Marshal)
Sister- Vasanti

Some Lesser Known Facts About Vijay Karnik

  • Vijay Karnik is a retired Indian Air Force personnel. He has served as a Wing Commander in the Indian Air Force. He is a war hero and is particularly known for his contributions in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.

  • Vijay was commissioned to the Indian Air Force on 26 May 1962. 

  • He undertook the 21 NAV Course after being commissioned.

  • In 1967, Vijay was posted in Pune with the 6 Squadron.

  • During the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, Karnik was a squadron leader, and he was posted in Bhuj. He was in charge of the Bhuj Airport.

  • On 8 December 1971, Pakistan attacked the Bhuj airbase and destroyed its airstrip by dropping 14 Napalm bombs from 8 squadrons of Sabre jets. The airstrip had to be made operational as soon as possible due to the ongoing war. As there was a lack of workers at the airbase, Karnik convinced 300 women from the Madhapar village nearby to help them rebuild the airstrip. The women had started working, but Pakistani jets kept bombing the airbase. Karnik instructed the women to cover the repaired portion of the airstrip with cow dung to camouflage their progress. He gave them instructions as to where to hide when the Pakistani jets would bomb the airbase. The women completed the repair work in 72 hours and helped the airbase resume its operations.

    Women working to rebuild the Bhuj Airstrip in 1971

  • When the war was over, the rebuilding of the airstrip was named as the “Pearl Harbour Moment of India”.

  • After the war, Indira Gandhi  recognized the contributions and the efforts of these women, and they were awarded a group award of 50,000 INR by the Indian Government.

  • On 1 October 1985, Karnik was promoted as a Wing Commander.

    Wing Commander Vijay Karnik

  • On 14 October 1986, Karnik retired from service.

  • He loves golf, and he believes that golf is an ancient Indian game.

    Vijay Karnik (Extreme Right) at a Golf Club

  • Karnik is an ardent follower of Narendra Modi , and he supports the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

  • On 19 March 2019, film producer Bhushan Kumar announced that he will be collaborating with Ajay Devgn to make a film about Vijay Karnik’s heroic tale of 1971, and how he built the Bhuj airstrip with the help of 300 women. The film will also star famous actors such as Sanjay Dutt , Parineeti Chopra , Sonakshi Sinha , and Rana Daggubati .

Collaborating with @ajaydevgn once again, for #BhujThePrideOfIndia , based on Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik. The film will be directed by #AbhishekDudhaiya @TSeries #KrishanKumar #SelectMediaHoldingsLLP #GinnyKhanuja @vajir

— Bhushan Kumar (@itsBhushanKumar) March 19, 2019