NEW DELHI: In a rare instance of Gallantry Awards being conferred in peacetime, 15 Vir Chakras, war-time gallantry awards, were conferred by President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday on armed forces personnel for their roles in Operation Sindoor launched to avenge the killing of 26 civilians in Pahalgam.
A total of 127 Gallantry Awards and 40 Distinguished Service awards were given to the Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel on the eve of 79th Independence Day. The list of personnel awarded for Operation Sindoor included 13 from the armed forces -- nine from the IAF and four from the Army –who were conferred the Vir Chakra, the third-highest wartime gallantry award.
Two recipients were from the Ministry of Home Affairs: Sub Inspector Mohd Imteyaj and Constable Deepak Chingakham.
There was also a rare list of the seven top-level armed forces officers awarded the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal for their role in Operation Sindoor. This award is given for exceptional operational planning, coordination and execution. President conferred 4 Kirti Chakras which are peacetime equivalents of the Mahavir Chakras of the war time. The other Gallantry Awards includes 15 Vir Chakras; 16 Shaurya Chakras; 2 Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry). When the award is conferred more than once it is termed as Bar to the award.
The list also includes 58 Sena Medals (Gallantry), 6 Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and 26 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry). The 40 Distinguished Service awards include 7 SarvottamYudh Seva Medals, 9 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and 24 Yudh Seva Medals. The President has also approved 290 Mention-in-Despatches, including 115 personnel of the Army, 5 of the Navy, 167 of the Air Force and 3 of the Border Roads Development Board (BRDB). The President’s awards also include three Tatrakshak Medals (TM), Indian Coast Guard personnel in recognition of their acts of conspicuous gallantry. Two more TMs were given for exceptional devotion to duty and meritorious service.
Meanwhile, the MHA has released the list of 1,090 recipients of medals in different categories, including gallantry for Police, Fire Services, Home Guard & Civil Defence and Correctional Services, on the occasion of Independence Day. The 1,090 medals include 233 Gallantry Medals, 99 President’s Medals for Distinguished Service and 758 Medals for Meritorious Service. In the Police category, 226 officers and personnel have been selected for the Gallantry Medal, 89 will be given the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service, and 635 will receive the Medal for Meritorious Service.
The J&K Police have once again led the pack of state police organisations and the Central Armed Police Forces by securing a record 127 Gallantry Medals on the occasion of Independence Day 2025. Among the awardees is DSP, late Humayun Muzamil Bhat, killed during a fierce encounter in Kokernag, who has been posthumously honoured for his ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
The CRPF on its part bagged 20 gallantry awards, whereas the BSF got 16, the Uttar Pradesh Police (17) and the Chhattisgarh Police (14).
Top honours for forces
Vir Chakra Awardees
Group Captain Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, Group Capt Manish Arora, Group Capt Animesh Patni, Group Captain Kunal Kalra, Wing Commander Joy Chandra, Squadron Leader Sarthak Kumar, Squadron Leader Siddhant Singh, Squadron, Leader Rizwan Malik and Flight Lieutenant Aarshveer Singh Thakur are among, the IAF officers who have been awarded the Vir Chakra. Colonel Koshank Lamba of 302 Medium Regiment, Lt Col Sushil Bisht of 1988 Medium Battery, Naib Subedar Satish Kumar of 4 Dogra, and Rifleman Sunil Kumar of 4 Jammu And Kashmir Light Infantry are among Army personnel awarded.
Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal
Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma; former DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai; CiC, Western Naval Command, Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh; Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari; Air Officer CiC, South Western Air Command, Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor; CiC, Western Air Command, Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra; and Air Marshal AK Bharti.
Ministry of Home Awardees
Vir Chakra
SUB INSPECTOR (GD) MOHD IMTEYAJ
CONSTABLE DEEPAK CHINGAKHAM