Dismissal, removal or reduction by Chief of the Air staff and other officers
Section 20 of the Air Force Act, 1950 deals with dismissal, removal or reduction by Chief of the Air staff and other officers. [The Chief of the Air Staff] may dismiss or remove from the service any person subject to this Act other than an officer. The Act came into force on 22 Jul 1950.
(1) 1[The Chief of the Air Staff] may dismiss or remove from the service any person subject to this Act other than an officer.
(2) 1[The Chief of the Air Staff] may reduce to a lower grade or rank or the ranks, any warrant officer or any non-commissioned officer.
(3) An officer having power not less than an air officer in charge of a command or equivalent commander or any prescribed officer may dismiss or remove from the service any person serving under his command other than an officer or a warrant officer.
(4) On active service, an officer commanding the air forces in the field may reduce to a lower rank or to the ranks any warrant officer or non-commissioned officer under his command.
(5) 1[The Chief of the Air Staff] or an officer specified in sub-section (3) may reduce to a lower class in the ranks any airman other than a warrant officer or non-commissioned officer.
(6) The commanding officer of an acting non-commissioned officer may order him to revert to his substantive rank as a non-commissioned officer, or if he had no such substantive rank, to the ranks.
(7) The exercise of any powers under this section shall be subject to the other provisions contained in this Act and the rules and regulations made thereunder.
Section 20, The Air Force Act, 1950 (Act 45 of 1950).
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Swadesh Pal Baliyan vs Air Force Commanding In-chief
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
In matters of removal from service in disciplined forces like the Indian Air Force, judicial review is restricted and courts should defer to the disciplinary judgment of the force unless there is manifest illegality or violation of natural justice. Direct admissions made by the accused during official inquiry proceedings, establishing the factum of misconduct and motive thereof, constitute sufficient evidence to sustain the removal order even if a confessional statement is challenged as coerced, provided the inquiry procedure substantially complies with natural justice principles. The High Court was justified in declining to interfere with the removal order.
On this section: Section 20(3) provides power to remove commissioned and non-commissioned officers from service. This section was cited as the statutory basis for the Air Force's authority to remove the appellant from service. The court examined the procedure followed under this section and whether it complied with natural justice principles.
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Questions about Section 20
What have the courts held on Section 20 of the Air Force Act?
Swadesh Pal Baliyan vs Air Force Commanding In-chief (01 Nov 2004) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Section 20(3) provides power to remove commissioned and non-commissioned officers from service. This section was cited as the statutory basis for the Air Force's authority to remove the appellant from service. The court examined the procedure followed under this section and whether it complied with natural justice principles.
How do I find court cases under Section 20 of the Air Force Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Air Force Act 1950 20, section 20 Air Force Act 1950, section 20 of the Air Force Act. People searching for it also type air force act 20(3) and section 20 of air force act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Swadesh Pal Baliyan vs Air Force Commanding In-chief (01 Nov 2004).
When did Section 20 of the Air Force Act come into force?
Section 20 of the Air Force Act, cited as Air Force Act 1950 20, came into force on 22 Jul 1950, having been enacted on 18 May 1950. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 4. Definitions981 words
- 141. Presumption as to certain documents492 words
- 91. Deductions from pay and allowances of officers414 words
- 92. Deductions from pay and allowances of airmen414 words
- 34. Offences in relation to the enemy and punishable with death396 words
- 32. Priority in respect of Air Force personnel's litigation301 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 16 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.