President Confers 51 Gallantry Awards at Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026
7 Kirti Chakras, 15 Vir Chakras and 29 Shaurya Chakras presented to Armed Forces, CAPF and police personnel
President Droupadi Murmu presents Shaurya Chakra (posthumous) to L/DFR Baldev Chand during Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 (Phase-1), in New Delhi on Monday. The award is being received by his wife Shivani Ranot and mother Vijay Kumari.
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 (CAPFs) and police organisations during Phase-I of the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The awards included two posthumous Kirti Chakras, three posthumous Vir Chakras and one posthumous Shaurya Chakra. The recipients were honoured for displaying exceptional courage, conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during military operations, counter-terrorism missions and other high-risk situations.
The Kirti Chakra, India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award, was conferred on seven personnel, including Lance Naik Meenatchi Sundaram A of the Regiment of Artillery attached to 34 Rashtriya Rifles, Naib Subedar Doleshwar Subba of 2 Para (Special Forces), Major Arshdeep Singh of 1 Assam Rifles, Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair of the Indian Air Force, and Captain Lalrinawma Sailo of 4 Para (Special Forces). Two Kirti Chakras were awarded posthumously to Sepoy Janjal Pravin Prabhakar of the Mahar Regiment and Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari of the Army Service Corps attached to 1 Sikkim Scouts.
Among the Vir Chakra recipients were Colonel Koshank Lamba of the Regiment of Artillery, Lieutenant Colonel Sushil Bisht, Group Captain Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, Group Captain Manish Arora, Group Captain Animesh Patni, Group Captain Kunal Kalra and several other Army and Air Force personnel who distinguished themselves during operations. Three Vir Chakras were awarded posthumously, including to Sub-Inspector Mohd Imteyaj and Constable Deepak Chingakham of the Central Reserve Police Force, and Rifleman Sunil Kumar of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry.
The largest category of awards comprised 29 Shaurya Chakras, recognising acts of courage by personnel from the Army, Air Force, Navy, CAPFs and police organisations. Recipients included officers and soldiers from Assam Rifles, Rashtriya Rifles, Para (Special Forces), CRPF, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force who demonstrated extraordinary bravery in challenging operational environments. One Shaurya Chakra was conferred posthumously on Lance Dafadar Baldev Chand of 4 Rashtriya Rifles.
A significant number of the awardees were involved in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, reflecting the continuing role of the security forces in maintaining national security under demanding circumstances. The list also included Air Force pilots and commanders recognised for exceptional courage and professional excellence during operational missions.
The Defence Investiture Ceremony is one of the highest military honours events in the country, where gallantry awards approved by the President are formally presented to personnel for acts of bravery, sacrifice and distinguished service. The awards recognise individuals who place the safety of the nation and fellow citizens above personal safety while performing their duties.
The ceremony was attended by senior military commanders, government officials and family members of the award recipients, including the next of kin of those honoured posthumously.
