President Droupadi Murmu on Monday conferred gallantry awards on 51 personnel during the Phase-I of the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. The awards included seven Kirti Chakras (two posthumous), 15 Vir Chakras (three posthumous), and 29 Shaurya Chakras (one posthumous) to personnel from the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, and State/UT Police.
Recognition of Supreme Courage
The awards were presented for acts of raw courage, unparalleled bravery, and total disregard to personal safety in the line of duty. The Kirti Chakra, India's second-highest peacetime gallantry award, was conferred on seven personnel, while the Vir Chakra and Shaurya Chakra were awarded for acts of courage and operational excellence in high-risk operations.
Gaganyaan Astronaut Among Awardees
Among the Kirti Chakra recipients was Indian astronaut-designate and Indian Air Force officer Group Captain (now Air Commodore) Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, call sign "Papa," one of the four selected Gagannauts for India's first human spaceflight mission Gaganyaan. The Kirti Chakra recognizes courage, devotion to duty, and distinguished service under challenging conditions.
Posthumous Honors for Martyrs
The ceremony also honored personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice, with awards presented posthumously to families of martyrs. Two Kirti Chakras, three Vir Chakras, and one Shaurya Chakra were awarded posthumously, underscoring the risks faced by security personnel in the line of duty.
List of Awardees
- Shaurya Chakra: Inspector Laxman Kewat, Inspector Rameshwar Prasad Deshmukh, Lt Col Neetesh Bharti Shukla, Maj Aditya Pratap Singh, Maj Ashish Kumar, Constable Sanjay Tiwari, Feda Hussain Dar, AC Mohd Shafiq, Lt Cdr Suraj Prashar, Ram Goyal, Constable Saddam Hussain, AC Vipin Wilson, Rifleman Bhoj Ram Sahu, Wg Cdr Abhimanyu Singh, Maj Bhargav Kalita, Maj Leishangthem Deepak Singh, Maj Anshul Balttoo, Maj Shivkant Yadav, Subedar P H Moses, Maj Vivek, Rifleman Manglem Sang Vaiphei, Lt Col Ghatage Aditya Shrikumar, Capt Yogender Singh Thakur, Subedar Shamsher Singh, L/Nk Rahul Singh, Rifleman Dhurba Jyoti Dutta, Lt Cdr Dilna K, Lt Cdr Roopa A, and L/DFR Baldev Chand (posthumous).
- Vir Chakra: Col Koshank Lamba, Gp Capt Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, Gp Capt Manish Arora, Gp Capt Animesh Patni, Gp Capt Kunal Kalra, Wg Cdr Joy Chandra, Lt Col Sushil Bisht, Sqn Ldr Sarthak Kumar, Sqn Ldr Siddhant Singh, Sqn Ldr Rizwan Malik, Flt Lt Aarshveer Singh Thakur, Nb Sub Satish Kumar, SI Mohd Imteyaj, CT Deepak Chingakham (posthumous), Rifleman Sunil Kumar (posthumous).
- Kirti Chakra: L/Nk Meenatchi Sundaram A, Nb Sub Doleswar Subba, Maj Arshdeep Singh, Air Cmde Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Capt Lalrinawma Sailo, Sepoy Janjal Pravin Prabhakar (posthumous), Lt Shashank Tiwari (posthumous).
The Defence Investiture Ceremony is held annually to honor gallantry and distinguished service, highlighting the commitment and sacrifice of India's armed forces and security personnel in safeguarding national security.
