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NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Monday conferred 51 gallantry awards, including seven Kirti Chakras, 15 Vir Chakras and 29 Shaurya Chakras, on personnel of the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, and State and Union Territory Police during Phase-I of the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the awards included two Kirti Chakras (Posthumous), three Vir Chakras (Posthumous), and one Shaurya Chakra (Posthumous). The honours were bestowed in recognition of exceptional courage, outstanding bravery, and devotion to duty displayed by security personnel while undertaking operations in challenging and high-risk circumstances.
Among the recipients of the Kirti Chakra were Lance Naik Meenatchi Sundaram A, Naib Subedar Doleshwar Subba, Major Arshdeep Singh, Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair and Captain Lalrinawma Sailo.
The Vir Chakra awardees included Colonel Koshank Lamba and several Indian Air Force officers, including Group Captain Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, Group Captain Manish Arora, Group Captain Animesh Patni and Group Captain Kunal Kalra, who were recognised for acts of gallantry during operational missions.
The Shaurya Chakra recipients included personnel from the Army, Navy, CRPF, Assam Rifles and other security forces who demonstrated courage and operational excellence during various counter-insurgency and security operations conducted between 2024 and 2026.
The President also conferred posthumous gallantry awards on personnel who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. Among them were Sepoy Janjal Pravin Prabhakar and Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari, who were awarded the Kirti Chakra (Posthumous).
In a moment of pride for Jammu and Kashmir, Rifleman Sunil Kumar of Trewa village in Bishnah block of Jammu district was posthumously conferred the Vir Chakra for his exceptional gallantry and unwavering courage in the line of duty.
Among the posthumous Shaurya Chakra awardees was Lance Dafadar Baldev Chand, who was honoured for displaying conspicuous bravery and selfless service.
The Ministry of Defence stated that the gallantry awards recognise acts of indomitable courage, conspicuous bravery and unwavering dedication to duty in the face of grave danger, reflecting the highest traditions of service and sacrifice of India’s armed and security forces.(Agencies)
