Lt Col Maneo Francis of 21 Para (SF) Awarded Kirti Chakra for Manipur Counter-Insurgency Operation

Lieutenant Colonel Maneo Francis PF, SC of the Indian Army’s 21st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), has been awarded the Kirti Chakra for a counter-insurgency operation in Manipur that involved prolonged surveillance, close combat and the killing of two heavily armed insurgents. The decoration, India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award, was approved by President Droupadi Murmu on 14 August 2026 as part of a list of 78 gallantry honours announced on the eve of the 80th Independence Day.

Lt Col Francis is one of only three Indian Army personnel selected for the Kirti Chakra in this cycle, with one of the three awards being posthumous. According to the official citation, his role in the operation was recognised for exceptional courage, tactical skill and leadership under fire.

Officer from Manipur, serving in Special Forces

Hailing from Tadubi village in Senapati district of Manipur, Lt Col Maneo Francis PF was commissioned into the Indian Army in June 2012 after graduating from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He was subsequently posted to 21 Para (Special Forces), one of the Army’s premier special operations units, which is trained for airborne operations, jungle warfare, counter-terrorism and direct-action missions.

His local roots have been repeatedly seen as an operational strength, giving him familiarity with the terrain, communities and insurgency dynamics in the state. He has served as Assault Team Commander in the unit and has been actively operating in Manipur since at least 2022.

The Kirti Chakra is not the first gallantry award in his name. Francis had earlier received the Shaurya Chakra for a separate operation carried out on 4–5 January 2023. In that case, acting on intelligence about a planned sabotage attempt targeting a VIP, he laid an ambush near a border pillar, outflanked a group of heavily armed insurgents under fire, eliminated a self-styled Major linked to earlier attacks on Assam Rifles, and injured another militant while ensuring the safety of his team. The Shaurya Chakra was presented by the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2024, and he was later felicitated by the Government of Manipur at Raj Bhavan, Imphal, in October 2025.

How the Kirti Chakra was earned

For the latest award, the Ministry of Defence citation says that as Assault Team Commander, Lt Col Francis “swiftly established a highly coordinated intelligence network to systematically dismantle anti-national elements fueling violence and division in Manipur.” The operation, according to the citation, followed several months of intelligence development focused on a high-profile violent insurgent group.

His team underwent specialised, target-specific training before launching a coordinated raid on the group’s hideout. The assault team then carried out seven days of intense surveillance before closing in on the target.

When the team approached the hideout, the militants were called upon to surrender peacefully. Instead, they opened heavy automatic fire. Lt Col Francis responded by manoeuvring the assault group from the northern side of the hideout and eliminating one sentry.

He then outflanked a second insurgent who had pinned down the entire assault group. The citation notes that, showing complete disregard for personal safety, he crawled under intense fire and killed the militant at close quarters using superior combat skills.

The Ministry of Defence citation concludes: “For displaying resolute leadership, superior tactical acumen, the raw courage under fire in eliminating two heavily armed insurgents, meticulous planning, gallant and selfless acts, Lieutenant Colonel Maneo Francis PF, SC is recommended for the award of ‘Kirti Chakra’.” The effective date of the award is listed as 29 October 2025.

Part of a larger set of 78 gallantry awards

The Kirti Chakra sits immediately below the Ashoka Chakra in India’s peacetime gallantry hierarchy. This year, nine Kirti Chakras were approved, seven of them posthumous. Along with Lt Col Francis, the other Army recipients were Major Jitendra Rathee of 2 Para (SF) and Havildar Gajendra Singh of 2 Para (SF), the latter awarded posthumously. Both were recognised for operations in the Kishtwar sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

The full list of 78 decorations also included 19 Shaurya Chakras, five Bars to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 36 Sena Medals (Gallantry), and awards for personnel of the Navy and Air Force. In all, 13 of the honours were conferred posthumously.

For Manipur, the recognition adds to an already notable record for one of its own serving in the Special Forces. Lt Col Francis’s Shaurya Chakra and now the Kirti Chakra make him a rare double gallantry awardee from Senapati district. Both awards were earned in operations that depended on patient intelligence gathering, long surveillance, and direct engagement with armed insurgents in difficult terrain.

His service also reflects the role of local officers in counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast, where familiarity with the region can be crucial to mission planning and execution. In this case, the Army officer’s actions were carried out in his home state, while serving with one of the force’s most specialised units.

The awards will be formally presented at investiture ceremonies in due course.