Varun Sahni

Latin Americanist by training, nearly three decades teaching International Relations, and now obsessed with the interface of society, technology and education.

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

@manpreetsethi01 Congratulations! So richly deserved.

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

@AnchitGupta9 @IAF_MCC @zone5aviation Amit Vikram!
My father was Commodore Commandant of No. 12 Sqn. A test pilot, he accumulated 6,225 flying hours on over 50 types of aircraft, including 1,500 hours of test flying, before handing in his flying boots. But his first love, and his last memory, was flying the Dakota.

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

We are celebrating in lovely Coorg. I last came to what was then Mercara as a little boy with my parents and younger brother. They have all passed on… but I feel their presence today.

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

25 years… and counting. I know that I have lucked out and am so grateful to @sanromansylvia for a life replete with meaning, texture, and happiness.

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

One of the most memorable days of my life!
On his 90th birthday, wishing HH The Dalai Lama, global icon of compassion and courage and steadfast leader of the Tibetan people, many more years to shower his wisdom upon a world that needs him more than ever. Tashi Delek!

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

Looking at the rapid changes in world politics and economy, we need to ask if this is a period of power transition or system transformation, or both, or neither.
My sense is that we are witnessing the playing out of both processes — but they are imperfect and mutually permeable.

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

Today is my last day at JNU. The campus is looking especially pretty this afternoon. I am going to miss this place so much. I am choosing to leave JNU sooner than I need to, but 30 years and 25 PhDs awarded is a good run, and new adventures await @sylviaarriaga66 and me.

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

@Gokul_Sahni The North Atlantic alliance was always more than an alliance. It was, supposedly, a security community. In other words, its members viewed threats similarly, if not always identically. Burden sharing concerns do not break up a security community; divergent threat perceptions do.

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

@PushHigherEd IMHO, the only group that benefits from mandatory attendance requirements are incompetent and/or indifferent teachers. If the material is interesting and the teacher engaging, learners will queue up to enter the classroom or laboratory. (I don’t answer your question, though.)

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

@acorn अपनी क्षमताओं को छिपाएँ और अपने समय का इंतज़ार करें। Sage counsel from a true visionary who hid his own capabilities until his moment to shape history arrived.

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

A lovely tribute to my father by @AnchitGupta9 and #IAFHistory.
I loved my father, but I also loved having him as my father. My Papa was a wonderful man who cherished his years of flight testing in the Indian Air Force.

[Anchit Gupta @AnchitGupta9]

It is with profound sadness that I share the passing of Air Marshal Ripu Daman Sahni (Retd.), who left us this morning at the age of 96. Commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 1950 with the 51/52 Pilot Course, he began his illustrious career in the transport stream, serving initially with No. 12 Squadron—later becoming its Commodore Commandant.

A distinguished test pilot, he underwent the prestigious 19th Test Pilot Course at the Empire Test Pilots' School, UK, in 1960. Upon his return, he played a pivotal role in Indian aviation, serving with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and leading India's flight testing efforts. As HAL's Chief Test Pilot, he was instrumental in the development and prototype testing of the HF-24 Marut and the HJT-16 Kiran, as well as production testing of the first indigenously built HS-748. His discerning technical expertise helped establish the HS-748 as a reliable public transport aircraft.

Air Marshal Sahni served as the Commandant of the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) from 1974 to 1977 and accumulated an impressive 6,225 flying hours on over 50 types of aircraft, including 1,500 hours of rigorous test flying over his career. His leadership extended beyond testing, with key appointments as Station Commander of 28 Wing (Hindon), Director of Plans and Projects at Air Headquarters, SDS (Air) at the National Defence College, Air officer-In charge-Personnel at Air HQ, SASO of Central Air Command, and finally as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of Central Air Command. For his exceptional service, he was honoured with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM).

He was likely the oldest surviving IAF officer at the time of his passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones. May his soul rest in peace, and may his remarkable legacy inspire generations to come.

#IAFHistory

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

@jorgeheinel @NuffieldCollege @BUPardeeSchool @GerardoMunck @alvaroimendez @andresserbin @MatiasSpektor @agzocar @mriost @Zovatto55 @KevinCasasZ @LASACONGRESS Bueno, hace 38 años fui alumno de Laurence (1986-1991). Guió mis tesis de maestría y doctorado sobre el papel político de la Armada Argentina. Disfruté de algunas cenas encantadoras en su casa. ¡Qué mundo tan pequeño!

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

@BahadurManmohan @prganapathy @PrgAna He served in ASTE with my father. Outstanding test pilots, both. And yes, we have two photos of my father being decorated by Presidents Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy and Zail Singh. Cameras were pointedly ignored then. A generation with a different (and decidedly superior) set of values.

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

@HappymonJacob Yes. Perhaps an even more important question: “Will the elites ever listen?”
Just love your posts @HappymonJacob and totally agree with you about your pronunciation observation.

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

This promises to be a fascinating conference. I am looking forward to moderating Session 4. @AmitavAcharya will be presenting, Siddharth Mallavarapu and @atulm01 will be the discussants. Well done, @symbiosistweets!

[Symbiosis School of International Studies (SSIS) @ssis_tweets]

The world order is undergoing a tectonic shift. Is India ready to lead? Let us rediscover International Relations from India’s perspective at #IRC2023
Register here: https://t.co/jo9Kzcgo7s
@MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar @symbiosistweets
#India #AcademicTwitter #IndiasStrategicCulture

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

@amitabhmattoo @UniMelb @JNU_official_50 @heeraman98 Different economic conditions and social structures, methinks. If university cafés in Delhi were to be handed to the students to run, it would surely lead to severe anxiety and heartburn for the existing vendors and service providers. Unusually, I don’t share your view this time!

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

My doctoral supervisor and my most recent academic collaborator, dining together in the city in which I did my doctoral research. Bravo!
Mi director de doctorado y mi colaborador académico más reciente, cenando juntos en la ciudad en la que hice mi investigación doctoral. ¡Bravo!

[Jorge Heine @jorgeheinel]

Con mi amigo Laurence Whitehead, @NuffieldCollege, @UniofOxford, gran teorico d las transicione democraticas, en #BuenosAires , Congreso Mundial d Ciencia Politica, #IPSA2023 . Hoy modero mesa sobre #NoAlineamientoActivo ! 17:30, Aula Magna Cardenal Pirono. @DianaTussie

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

A great day for Indian sports. Cdr Abhilash Tomy @abhilashtomy, naval aviator, perhaps the finest sportsperson that India has produced, has taken the lead in the Golden Globe Race @ggr2022. With 28,989 NM sailed and 1,174 NM still to go, everything to cheer for. Truly inspiring!

[Varun Sahni @ProfVarunSahni]

This should be a really insightful exchange of ideas about an increasingly relevant theme and global trend @SAIIA_info @Siderop @jorgeheinel