The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), after its All-India Office Bearers Meeting in Itanagar on Saturday, called on the Indian government to honour Captain Smit Machchhar with the Ashoka Chakra, for his “exemplary courage” in averting a catastrophic mid-air disaster earlier this week.Machchhar, an Indian commercial pilot, was commanding flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the aircraft’s co-pilot allegedly attacked him in an attempt to hijack or crash the plane. During the violent struggle, the Boeing 737 MAX plummeted nearly 14,000 ft in less than 30 seconds.Despite his injuries, the 39-year-old fought back and managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing alert passengers and crew to storm in and overpower the attacker.Two off-duty flydubai pilots, who were travelling as passengers, then helped level the aircraft, which was carrying 174 passengers, and diverted it for an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The incident had made headlines across the world and Machchhar was hailed globally as a hero for averting a disaster and saving hundreds of lives.Must Read | Smit Machchhar’s heroism forces a rethink of cockpit safetyThe Ashoka Chakra is India’s top peacetime award for extreme bravery and self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. Civilians are eligible for the decoration and there is no requirement that the act of gallantry take place in India.Incidentally, there are historical precedents for Indian civilian aviation personnel receiving the Ashoka Chakra during emergencies abroad.In 1987, Pan Am flight attendant Neerja Bhanot was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra for her actions during the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 at Karachi the previous year.Story continues below this adD N Jatar, captain of the Air India-chartered Kashmir Princess, was awarded the Ashoka Chakra after the aircraft was bombed in 1955 while flying from Hong Kong to Jakarta. Jatar, who died in the crash, was among the earliest civilian recipients of the award.The ABVP meeting, held on October 2 and 3, was its first All India Office Bearers Meeting in Itanagar. A substantial part of it dwelled on the recent student elections, wherein ABVP made significant gains, most notably, at Delhi and Panjab Universities, where it won the president’s post.Also Read | He saved us from a 9/11: PM Modi leads praise for Indian pilot Smit MachchharIn Uttarakhand, the organisation emerged victorious in 64 of the 92 colleges that went to polls there, securing the president’s post in 54 of them; and at Haryana University, 33 of the 38 seats.The student wing of the RSS, ABVP also claimed a clean sweep of all 14 seats at Sanskrit College in Kerala, and won three seats at Gauhati University.Story continues below this adABVP National General Secretary Virendra Singh Solanki said, “India’s Gen-Z is rooted in values, has a nationalist outlook and believes in social harmony. ABVP’s success at Panjab University, Delhi University, Kerala, Uttarakhand and various other campuses reflects the active participation of this young generation,” Solanki said.The discussions also covered the state of hostels in Arunachal Pradesh and the Northeast, scholarships, student union elections, the organisation’s All India Student Hostel Survey 2026, and upcoming campaigns.