SRIKAKULAM: Major Malla Rama Gopal Naidu of the Indian Army (Rashtriya Rifles) has been honoured with the Kirti Chakra Award, India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award, for eliminating four terrorists and saving the lives of army personnel at the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on October 26, 2023.
Recognising his courage and bravery in neutralising terrorists and saving army personnel, the Government of India conferred the Kirti Chakra Award on Rama Gopal Naidu, which he received from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, on May 22 in New Delhi.
Naidu hails from Nagaripenta village in Santhabommali mandal of Srikakulam district. His father, Appala Naidu, is a farmer. Naidu is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune and also graduated from the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun with a gold medal.
He joined the Indian Army as a Lieutenant and was promoted to Major. Naidu is one of the four Kirti Chakra awardees and is the lone survivor. He is the first person from both Telugu-speaking states to receive the honour from the Indian Army.
Union Minister for Civil Aviation, K Rammohan Naidu, congratulated the army major in New Delhi on Friday for his achievement and called his bravery a symbol of Telugu pride displayed at the LoC. Minister for Agriculture, K Atchannaidu, also expressed joy over the achievement of Ram Gopal Naidu and lauded his courage and intelligence.