https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Apparanda_AiyappaApparanda Aiyappa - Revision history2026-07-30T14:01:30ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Apparanda_Aiyappa&diff=372285&oldid=prevBot at 20:36, 25 May 20222022-05-25T20:36:15Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|British Indian Army officer in World War II}}<br />
{{Infobox military person<br />
| honorific_prefix = Lieutenant General<br />
| name = Apparanda Chengappa Aiyappa<br />
| honorific_suffix = MBE<br />
| image = <br />
| birth_date = 2 September 1913<br />
| death_date = <br />
| birth_place = Kodagu<br />
| allegiance = {{Flag|India}}<br />
| branch = [[Indian Army Corps of Signals]]<br />
| serviceyears = <br />
| rank = Lieutenant General<br />
| battles = [[World War II]]<br />
| laterwork = Chief of [[Bharat Electronics Limited]]<br />
}}<br />
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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2013}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2013}}<br />
Lieutenant General '''Apparanda Chengappa Aiyappa''' {{post-nominals|MBE}} (also known as A.C. Iyappa) was a [[World War II]] hero and the first Indian Signal officer in chief (Head of the [[Indian Army Corps of Signals]]). He was also the first chief of the [[Bharat Electronics Limited]] (BEL).<br />
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==Early years==<br />
Iyappa was born on 2 September 1913 <ref>Indian Army List October 1939 page 221F</ref> during the [[British Raj]], into the wealthy and influential Apparanda family which belonged to the [[Kodava people|Kodava]] community of [[Kodagu]]. He studied in [[Bishop Cotton Boys' School]], [[Bangalore]] and later in [[Stamford School]], Lincolnshire in [[England]]. After college he went on to join the [[Indian Military Academy]] and from there got a commission into the [[British Indian Army]].<br />
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== Brief history of Signals in India ==<br />
When the post World War I re-organization of the Indian Army was carried out, the Indian Signals Corps was formed as a separate corps on 17 April 1920.<ref>[http://cdajabalpur.nic.in/cos.htm Controller of Defence Accounts, Jabalpur] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203232328/http://cdajabalpur.nic.in/cos.htm |date=3 February 2012 }}</ref><br />
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== Military career ==<br />
On 7 July 1935 he was commissioned from [[Indian Military Academy]] on to the Indian Land Forces, Special List and on 12 August 1935 he was attached to the 1st battalion 7th Rajput Regiment and the Indian Signal Corps. He was promoted Lieutenant, Indian Land Forces, Special List on 2 December 1936. He was appointed to the Indian Army 23 November 1937. In early 1939 he was permanently appointed to the Indian Signal Corps.<ref>Indian Army list (various issues between 1936 - 1939)</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.coorgcreek.com/famouscoorgs.htm |title=Famous Coorgs |access-date=3 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810203347/http://www.coorgcreek.com/famouscoorgs.htm |archive-date=10 August 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIBG/2010/10/31&PageLabel=6&EntityId=Ar00600&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T ''Times of India'']</ref><br />
== Bharat Electronics Limited ==<br />
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) was set up at Bangalore, by the Government of India under the Ministry of Defence in 1954 to meet the specialised electronic needs of the [[Indian Defence Services]]. Over the years, it has grown into a multi-product, multi-technology, multi-unit company serving the needs of customers in diverse fields in India and abroad. BEL is among an elite group of public sector undertakings which have been conferred the Navratna status by the Government of India. When it was first set up, the Government of India made Iyappa its first chairman; he remained in this position for 18 years.<ref>[http://www.bel-india.com/index.aspx BEL India web site]</ref><br />
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== Legacy ==<br />
Today there is a park named after him (General Iyappa Park) near BEL circle in Bangalore.<ref>[http://maps.google.co.in/maps?hl=en&biw=1366&bih=541&q=iyappa+park&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl Google map]</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
*[http://14threunion.blogspot.com/2011/03/corps-of-signals-first-indian-signal.html Corps of Signals Blog]<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Aiyappa, Apparanda}}<br />
[[Category:1913 births]]<br />
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]<br />
[[Category:Kodava people]]<br />
[[Category:People from Kodagu district]]<br />
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War II]]<br />
[[Category:World War II prisoners of war held by Japan]]<br />
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]<br />
[[Category:Bishop Cotton Boys' School alumni]]<br />
[[Category:People educated at Stamford School]]<br />
[[Category:Possibly living people]]</div>Bot