President confers 51 gallantry awards at Defence Investiture Ceremony
New Delhi, June 8
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 on personnel for displaying exceptional courage, outstanding bravery and devotion to duty while carrying out operations in challenging circumstances.
Among the Kirti Chakra awardees were 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), according to a release.
The Vir Chakra recipients included Colonel Koshank Lamba of the Army, several Indian Air Force pilots, including Group Captains Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, Manish Arora, Animesh Patni and Kunal Kalra, as well as other Army and Air Force personnel recognised for their gallantry during operations.
The Shaurya Chakra awardees included personnel from the Army, Navy, CRPF, Assam Rifles and other security forces. The list featured officers and soldiers who demonstrated courage and operational excellence in various counter-insurgency and security operations conducted between 2024 and 2026, the release stated.
The President also conferred posthumous awards on personnel who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. Among them were Sepoy Janjal Pravin Prabhakar of the Mahar Regiment and Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari of the Army Service Corps, who were awarded the Kirti Chakra (Posthumous). Rifleman Sunil Kumar of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry and two personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces received the Vir Chakra (Posthumous), while Lance Dafadar Baldev Chand of 4 Rashtriya Rifles was awarded the Shaurya Chakra (Posthumous), the release added.
The Ministry of Defence said the gallantry awards were presented in recognition of acts of conspicuous bravery, indomitable courage and selfless service in the face of grave danger.
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's heartwarming to see the President honoring these heroes. The posthumous awards especially remind us of the ultimate sacrifice some make. Major Arshdeep Singh and Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair sound like real-life superheroes. Great to see the system acknowledge their courage.
While I'm proud of our armed forces, I wonder why the list seems to have so many from 'para' and special forces. What about the common soldier in regular regiments who also shows incredible bravery? The system sometimes overlooks them. But still, good to see recognition for those who fight for us.
Incredible moment for the families! Especially those who received posthumous awards—Sepoy Janjal Pravin Prabhakar and Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari, you are true heroes. We need more such ceremonies to honor our Jawans. The nation remembers and thanks you. 🙏
It's always humbling to read about these awardees. The variety—Army, Navy, Air Force, CRPF, Assam Rifles—shows how widespread their sacrifices are. My respect goes out to all 51 personnel, especially those who won Vir Chakras in the air force. Group Captains Ranjeet Singh Sidhu and Manish Arora—well done!
I feel emotional reading this. Amma (President Murmu) doing such ceremonies makes it special. But I wish the media gave more attention to these events—not just cricket and films. These soldiers deserve front-page coverage. Anyway, my heartiest congratulations to all awardees and their families. ❤
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