Varun Singh (Indian Air Force Officer)

Group Captain Varun Singh is an Indian Air Force group captain and pilot who is the sole survivor of the 2021 Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 crash. He is a member of the staff of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), and was a passenger accompanying the Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces, General Bipin Rawat, who was enroute to make a speech to military students and staff at the DSSC, when the Mil Mi-17V-5 they were onboard crashed.
Early life
Singh was born in 1982 in Kanholi, in the Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh. He has stated that as a child he considered himself to be a "very average" and "mediocre" student, but he " had a passion for airplanes and aviation." He served as the representative for his school in the Aeronautical Society of India Quiz twice.
He first studied in Odisha before he applied for the National Defence Academy; passing the exams on his first try. In September 2021 Singh commented that "In 2019 I was in the first list of 12 candidates for ISRO's Gaganyaan programme. Though, I did not make the final cut due to a medical requirement."
2021 air crash
On 8 December 2021, a helicopter carrying Singh (who was the crew captain) and 13 others broke down on their way to the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. All of the people, including the head of the Indian Armed Forces, Bipin Rawat, died, with the sole exception of Singh. The Indian Air force confirmed that he was being treated at a hospital in Tamil Nadu. He was reported to have serious injuries and to be on life support. According to doctors, he was still conscious when he was taken for surgery.
Singh was airlifted to a hospital in Bangalore (where better treatment could be provided) and survived the night. His status is reported to remain critical but his health better than before. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has assured that "all efforts are being made to save him." Several people, expressed their wishes for Singh to recover, including his family, Congress, Ram Nath Kovind, the US embassy to India, and members of his hometown.
Personal life
Singh is 39 years old and is married with two children.
His father, KP Singh, is a retired colonel of the Army Air Defence living in Bhopal.
His uncle is Akhilesh Pratap Singh, a politician who represented Rudrapur, Uttar Pradesh for five years until 2017. He also serves as spokesman for the Indian National Congress.<ref name":4" /><ref name":5" />

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