NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry Thursday issued fresh guidelines for award of gallantry medals whereby only physically fit police officials will be entitled to gallantry medals. The guidelines will be applicable for President’s Police Medal (PPM) for Distinguished Service and Police Medal (PM) for Meritorious Service on Republic Day, 2018.
The ministry has two categories — Shape 1 and Shape 2 — regarding physical fitness. ‘Shape 1’ category is the highest level of fitness in terms of psychological health, hearing, physical capacity and eyesight and implies that the personnel can be posted for any duty. Physically fit would also mean that the officers do not have flab or potbelly.
‘Shape 2’ is fit for all duties but may have limitations as to the type of duties and areas of employability depending on whether the duties involve severe stress or demand certain degree of hearing or vision. Relaxation for ‘Shape 2’ can be given only in exceptional circumstances, joint secretary of the Home Ministry Kumar Alok said in the circular. The circular also said a specified length of service — minimum of 18 years for a Police Medal for Meritorious Service and 25 years for the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service — is required for all officers irrespective of rank and service.
The document has been circulated to home secretaries and director generals of police of all the states besides chiefs of central police organisations and central paramilitary forces. The organisations recommending these medals will be required to issue a separate certificate of medical fitness of the candidates.
Meanwhile, the ,inistry removed IPS officer Lingala Vijaya Prasad from service after his performance was found to be “unsatisfactory”. The move comes after his performance was reviewed after the 15-year-service mark, a Home Ministry official said. Prasad, a 1997-batch officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory cadre was posted as DIG in Mizoram.