New Delhi | India on Thursday recognised the acts of gallantry by the armed forces personnel and the role of senior military brass involved in the planning and execution of Operation Sindoor in its annual list of military honours on the eve of 79th Independence Day.
Nine Indian Air Force pilots involved in the precision strikes on terror infrastructure and military installations in Pakistan were conferred Vir Chakra, the third highest wartime gallantry awards after the Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra. One pilot was named for Shaurya Chakra.
IAF personnel manning the S-400 air defence systems during the May 7-10 military conflict were also among those conferred the coveted awards. A total of 20 pilots and six other IAF personnel were named for the Vayu Sena medal.
Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, Deputy Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, Indian Army's DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai and Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma are among top military officers named for Sarvottam Yudh Seva medal.
Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor and Air Marshal Jeetendra Misra, heading the South Western Air Command and the Western Air Command respectively, have also been conferred Sarvottam Yudh Seva medal.
The two Indian Air Force (IAF) commands played a major role targeting terror infrastructures in Pakistan that included Markaz Taiba of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Muridke, Markaz Subhan Allah of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Bahawalpur and Hizbul Mujahideen's Mehmoona Joya Facility in Sialkot.
Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, who as the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief of Western Naval Command, played a critical role in deployment of naval assets following the Pahalgam attack, has also been named for Sarvottam Yudh Seva medal. Singh retired from service last month.
Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, who also played a major role in finalising the Navy's deployment strategy in the aftermath of the Pahalgam strike, has been conferred Uttam Yudh Seva medal.
A notable name in the list of awardees is Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti. As the Director General of Air Operations (DGAO), he played an important role during Operation Sindoor. He was subsequently appointed as Deputy Chief of Air Staff.
The recipients of the Vir Chakra included Group Captains Ranjit Singh Sidhu, Manish Arora, Animesh Patni and Kunal Kalra.
Wing Commander Joy Chandra, Squadron Leaders Sarthak Kumar, Siddhant Singh, Rizwan Malik, and Flight Lieutenant A S Thakur were also honoured with Vir Chakra.
The lone Shaurya Chakra award winner is Wing Commander Abhimanyu Singh.
In total, IAF personnel received four Sarvottam Yudh Seva medals, five Uttam Yudh Seva medals, nine Vir Chakras, one Shaurya Chakra, 13 Yudh Seva medal, 26 Vayu Sena medals and 162 Mentions-in-Despatches for Operation Sindoor.
Vayu Sena medal winner Group Captain Omar Browne is son of former IAF chief NAK Browne. Another Vayu Sena medal winner, Squadron Leader Mihir Vivek Chaudhari is the son of former Chief of Air Staff V R Chaudhari.
President Droupadi Murmu approved 127 Gallantry awards and 40 Distinguished Service awards to the armed forces and central armed police forces personnel on the eve of Independence Day.
These include four Kirti Chakras, 15 Vir Chakras, 16 Shaurya Chakras, two Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 58 Sena Medals (Gallantry), six Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and 26 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
The Kirti Chakra awardees are Capt Lalrinawma Salio from 4 Para, Lt Shashank Tiwari from the Army Service Corps, Lance Naik Meenatchi Sundarama from the 34 Rashtriya Rifles and Sepoy Pravin Prabhakar of 1 Rashtriya Rifles.
Kirti Chakra is the second-highest peacetime gallantry award.
The awards also included seven Sarvottam Yudh Seva medals, nine Uttam Yudh Seva medals and 24 Yudh Seva medals.
The President has also approved 290 Mention-in-Despatches, of which 115 are from the Indian Army, five from the Indian Navy, and 167 are from the Indian Air Force.
New Delhi | Twenty-three personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the country's largest paramilitary force, have been awarded with gallantry medals, including three military-issued Shaurya Chakras, on the eve of the 79th Independence Day.
Constables Saddam Hussain, Feda Hussain Dar and Sanjay Tiwari were decorated with the Shaurya Chakra, the third-highest peacetime defence gallantry medal of India.
The force earned the highest number of bravery medals among the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) that function under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Assistant Commandant Teja Ram Choudhary was awarded two medals for gallantry (overall his fifth bravery medal) while Constable Ganesh Chand Jat also earned two medals (overall his third), according to the list issued by the MHA.
The laurels include 15 medals for operations in Jammu and Kashmir and eight for gallant actions in anti-Maoist operations across Left Wing Extremism-affected regions, a CRPF spokesperson said.
Constable Tiwari and Constable Dar belong to the famed Kashmir valley-based quick action team (QAT) of the CRPF, which is specially equipped and trained to undertake counter-terrorist operations.
The two exhibited "extraordinary" valour during a fierce encounter with terrorists on November 2, 2024 in Srinagar.
Despite being injured, they fought with "exemplary" courage and neutralised a hardcore terrorist, their citation said.
Constable Hussain of the 3rd CRPF Battalion has been recognised for his "indomitable courage" during a "critical" engagement with terrorists on November 5, 2024 in Bandipora, Jammu and Kashmir.
"He fought gallantly, disregarding his own safety while charging the foreign terrorist with accurate firing of UBGL (under-barrel grenade launcher) and was able to kill a foreign terrorist," the citation said.
The about 3.25 lakh strong CRPF is the lead internal security force of the country, with its three main operational theatres being the conduct of anti-Naxal operations, counter-terrorist duties in J-K and counter-insurgency tasks in the northeastern states.
New Delhi | In a first, two Agniveers from the Indian Army have been conferred a prestigious military honour for their acts of gallantry, officials said on the eve of the 79th Independence Day.
Agniveer Kulveer Singh of 7 Sikh Light Infantry and Agniveer Mood Muralinaik of 851 Light Regiment have been conferred the Sena Medal (Gallantry).
President Droupadi Murmu has approved 127 Gallantry awards and 40 Distinguished Service awards to the armed forces and central armed police forces personnel on the eve of Independence Day.
These include four Kirti Chakras, 15 Vir Chakras, 16 Shaurya Chakras, two Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 58 Sena Medals (Gallantry), six Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and 26 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
The awards also included seven Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medals, nine Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and 24 Yudh Seva Medals.
The two Agniveers from the Army find a mention in the annual list of military honours, shared by the defence ministry.
A senior official said this is the "first time" any Agniveer has received a Gallantry award.
The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, 2022, provides for the recruitment of youths between the ages of 17.5 and 21 for only four years, with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. The government extended the upper age limit to 23 later that year.
Those recruited through this scheme are called Agniveer.
The President has also approved 290 Mention-in-Despatches, out of which 115 are from the Indian Army, five from the Indian Navy, and 167 are from the Indian Air Force.
Two Agniveers from the Army — Agniveer Yuvraj Singh of 57 Mountain Division Provost Unit and Agniveer Gurjant Singh of 99 Medium Regiment find their names in the list of Mention-in-Despatches.
Also, according to the defence ministry, several personnel drawn from the armoured corps, regiment of artillery and other units of the Army have been chosen to receive an honorary commission to the rank of an honorary captain ahead of the 79th Independence Day celebrations.
In a statement on Thursday, the ministry shared a link leading to a draft gazette that contains a list of honorary commissions (honorary captain and honorary lieutenant) awarded on the occasion of Independence Day, 2025.
"The President is pleased to award honorary commission to the rank of Honorary Captain/Lieutenant on the eve of Independence Day 2025 to the under mentioned Honorary Lieutenants/JCOs on active list under Para 177 of Regulation for the Army 1987, with effect from 15 August 2025 subject to the individual not being under any disciplinary action and satisfactory continued performance," according to the draft.
The list contains unit-wise names of personnel who have been chosen for the honour.
Sources in the defence establishment said that with the commissioning, the uniform and insignia worn by these personnel would also change accordingly.
The link opens to a document that also contains a second draft gazette, with one set of lists — 'To be Honorary Captain (on Retirement)' — enumerates retired personnel who will get the honour with effect from the dates shown against their names.
"The President is pleased to grant honorary ranks to the under mentioned Honorary Lieutenants and JCOs on the eve of Independence Day 2025 on retirement under Para 179 of the Regulation for the Army 1987, with effect from the dates shown against their names," the second draft reads.
In the second draft gazette, one set of lists — 'To be Naib Risaldar/Subedar (on Retirement)' enumerates retired personnel who will get the honour with effect from the dates shown against their names.
New Delhi | CBI officers who led the probe in major corruption cases such as the 2G spectrum and Vyapam, NEET UG 2024 paper leak, Chota Rajan case and cyber crimes were among the 21 officers awarded President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Police Medal for Meritorious Service on the eve of the 79th Independence Day on Thursday, an official statement said.
DIG Vivek Priyadarshi, who is known for his investigation into the 2G corruption case, Vyapam, and cases related to West Bengal post-poll violence, has been awarded the coveted President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
DIG Machhindra Ramchandra Kadole, who probed cases related to gangster Chota Rajan, corruption in the Palace on Wheels train, Ponzi scam and post poll violence cases in West Bengal, has also been awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
Kadole also served as the police advisor in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
He was posted at Juba, South Sudan, as the contingent commander of the Indian police contingent for the mission, and received a UN medal for his services.
ASP Bandi Peddiraju, who led the probe into the NEET UG 2024 paper leak case, social media posts against Andhra Pradesh High Court judges, Paritala Ravi murder case, and cyber crime cases related to tech support scams impersonating Microsoft and Amazon, has also been honoured with the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
Peddiraju, who rose from the ranks of a constable, has 150 awards to his name, including the Union Home Minister's Medal for Excellence in Investigation for 2019.
Additional SP Ch Venkata Narendra Deve, Deputy SP Vishal, and Head Constable Abhijit Sen have also been awarded the President's Medal for Distinguished Service.
Fifteen CBI officers have been awarded Police Medal for Meritorious Service, an agency spokesperson said.
DIG Anoop T Mathew, Deputy Legal Advisors Bal Karan Singh, Subhash Chandra Sharma, Additional SP Sunil Dutt, Deputy SPs Ashok Kumar, K Vijaya Vaishnavi, Ajay Singh Gahlaut, Crime Assistant Dilbagh Singh Jasrotia, ASI Pawan Kumar Bhardwaj, Head Constables Mohan Singh Jadaun, Arabinda Garai and Chitimireddy Suryanarayan Reddy, Constables Satish Kumar, Rambabu Yedida, and Naval Kumar Dixit have been awarded Police Medal for Meritorious Service, the spokesperson said.
