President Murmu Approves 78 Gallantry Awards for Independence Day 2026, 13 Posthumous Honours
President Droupadi Murmu has approved 78 gallantry awards, including 13 posthumous honours, for personnel of the Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces on the eve of India’s 80th Independence Day. The awards recognise acts of exceptional courage, devotion to duty and bravery displayed in military, counter-terrorism and security operations.
The list for Independence Day 2026 includes nine Kirti Chakras, one Bar to Shaurya Chakra, 19 Shaurya Chakras, five Bars to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 36 Sena Medals (Gallantry), three Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and five Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry). Thirteen of these awards have been conferred posthumously.
The Indian Army accounts for the bulk of the honours. Its share includes three Kirti Chakras, one of them posthumous; one Bar to Shaurya Chakra; 11 Shaurya Chakras, including one posthumous award; five Bars to Sena Medal (Gallantry); and 36 Sena Medals (Gallantry), including five posthumous awards.
Kirti Chakra among the highest peacetime bravery awards
The Kirti Chakra is one of India’s highest peacetime gallantry decorations. Three Army personnel are among the nine recipients announced this year: Lieutenant Colonel Maneo Francis PF, SC, of 21 Para (Special Forces); Major Jitendra Rathee of 2 Para (Special Forces); and Havildar Gajendra Singh of 2 Para (Special Forces), who has been awarded posthumously.
The remaining six Kirti Chakra awards, all posthumous, have gone to personnel under the Ministry of Home Affairs: Head Constable Jagbir Singh, SG Constable Jaswant Singh, SG Constable Balvinder Singh, SG Constable Tariq Hussain, Head Constable Bashir Ahmad and Inspector STF Sunil Kumar.
Bar to Shaurya Chakra
Major Aditya Pratap Singh, SC, SM, of the Rajputana Rifles and 44 Assam Rifles has been awarded a Bar to the Shaurya Chakra. The award recognises a further act of gallantry by a serviceman who had already received the Shaurya Chakra earlier.
Shaurya Chakra honours for Army, Navy, Air Force and MHA personnel
Nineteen Shaurya Chakras have been approved in all, of which 11 have been awarded to Army personnel.
The Army recipients are Major Paramveer of the Garhwal Rifles and 36 Rashtriya Rifles; Major Tarun Vasudevan of the Corps of Engineers and 57 Rashtriya Rifles; Major Keshav Kumar of 12 Dogra; Major Gaurav Singh Brijwal of 21 Grenadiers; and Major Vipeen Kumar of the Corps of Signals and 11 Rashtriya Rifles.
Also honoured are Naib Subedar Shankar Ram of 3 Assam Rifles, Naib Subedar Dabbal Singh Bisht of 21 Para (Special Forces), Havildar Jagattar Singh of 4 Para (Special Forces), Lance Naik Narender Sindhu of the Rajputana Rifles and 9 Rashtriya Rifles, Lance Naik Kapil Dev of the Dogra Regiment and 11 Rashtriya Rifles, and Sepoy Jaswinder Singh of 7 Sikh Light Infantry. Lance Naik Narender Sindhu has been awarded posthumously.
Among the other recipients are Lieutenant Commander Shivam Kumar of the Indian Navy and Squadron Leader Sudhir Kumar, a fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force.
Personnel under the Ministry of Home Affairs who have received the Shaurya Chakra include DySP Dheeraj Singh Katoch, Inspector Ajay Singh Chib, Dy SP Sukhvir Singh, Assistant Sub-Inspector Niyaz Ahmad, Deputy Commandant Anjani Kumar and Constable Deepak Sah.
Bars to Sena Medal (Gallantry)
Five Army personnel have been awarded the Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry): Major DS Paosho, SM, of 7 Madras; Major Anuj Mahajan, SM, of the Mechanised Infantry and 36 Assam Rifles; Major Krishan Kant, SM, of 21 Para (Special Forces); Subedar Ramesh Kumar, SM, of 159 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army); and Naib Subedar Rajendra Singh, SM, of 2 Para (Special Forces).
Sena Medal (Gallantry) recipients
The Army has received 36 Sena Medals (Gallantry), including five posthumous awards. The officer recipients include Lieutenant Colonel Pushkar Vijay Chaudhary of 27 (Independent) R&O Flight and Lieutenant Colonel Sonam Topden Bhutia of 2/8 Gorkha Rifles.
Others named in the list include Major Sudhansu Sekhar Pani of the Para Regiment and 9 Rashtriya Rifles; Major Mohit Podia of the Regiment of Artillery and 37 Assam Rifles; Major R Sahil of the Garhwal Rifles and 33 Assam Rifles; Major Balendu Kumar Jha of 24 Grenadiers; Major Ravi Shankar Joshi of the Rajputana Rifles and 57 Rashtriya Rifles; Major Rupam Das of 8 Bihar; Major Arnav Bali of the Mechanised Infantry and 9 Rashtriya Rifles; Major Anshuman Ranjan of 4 Para (Special Forces); and Major Arvind Kumar of the Corps of Engineers and 33 Assam Rifles.
Captain Karan Singh Cheema of the Assam Regiment and 59 Rashtriya Rifles, Captain Harish Singh Dewali of the Maratha Light Infantry and 17 Rashtriya Rifles, Captain Mohit Rawat of the Corps of Signals and 44 Assam Rifles, Captain Anshumaan Singh of 11 Para (Special Forces), Captain Bane Swaraj Sudhir of 21 Para (Special Forces), Captain Pruthviraj Jaysing Nighot of 21 Para (Special Forces) and Captain Savik of 5/9 Gorkha Rifles are also among the awardees.
Lieutenant Bhanu Pratap Singh of 12 Dogra and Lieutenant Aman Pandey of 8 Bihar have also been awarded the Sena Medal (Gallantry), along with Assistant Commandant Bikash Rai of 11 Assam Rifles.
Among Junior Commissioned Officers, the awardees are Subedar Pawan Kumar of 11 Para (Special Forces), Subedar Perbhat Gaur of the Para Regiment and 9 Rashtriya Rifles, Subedar Kanase Namdev Balkrishna of 18 Maratha Light Infantry, Subedar Baljinder Singh of 7 Sikh Light Infantry and Naib Subedar Dayal Singh of the Garhwal Rifles and 36 Rashtriya Rifles. Subedar Perbhat Gaur has received the award posthumously.
Other recipients include Havildar L Joel Kom of 21 Para (Special Forces), Havildar Mulla Abidali Ashrafali of 18 Maratha Light Infantry, Lance Havildar Palash Ghosh of the Para Regiment and 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Naik Ali Mohammad Khan of 24 Grenadiers, Lance Naik Sujay Ghosh of the Para Regiment and 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Lance Naik Abhimanu Singh of 21 Grenadiers and Lance Naik Bidha Singh of the Jat Regiment and 34 Rashtriya Rifles.
Lance Naik Pritpal Singh and Sepoy Harminder Singh, both associated with the Sikh Light Infantry and 19 Rashtriya Rifles, have been honoured posthumously. Paratrooper Himanshu Kumar of 21 Para (Special Forces) is also among the Sena Medal recipients.
Naval and Air Force honours
Three personnel of the Indian Navy have been awarded the Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry): Commander Vineet Sharma, Commander Yuvraj Kumar and POA (FD) C Avinash Annaso.
The five Indian Air Force recipients of the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) are Group Captain Rahul Jagotta, Flying (Pilot); Group Captain Rahul Rawat, Flying (Pilot); Wing Commander Ashish Rajpoot, Flying (Pilot); Flight Lieutenant Yash, Flying (Pilot); and Master Warrant Officer Ravinderjit Singh, Parachute Jump Instructor.
89 Mention-in-Despatches approved
Alongside the gallantry awards, the President has approved 89 Mention-in-Despatches: 75 for the Indian Army, four for the Indian Navy and 10 for the Indian Air Force.
The Army personnel named through Mention-in-Despatches have served across a wide spread of operational deployments, including Operation Rakshak, Operation Hifazat, Operation Orchid, Operation Meghdoot, Operation Snow Leopard, Operation Chakravyuh, Operation Chetheba, Operation Khoijuman, Operation Mount Kangto, Operation Talash, Operation Awang Lekhai, Operation Khoj, Operation Nongren II, Operation Maova-Kiyevi, Operation Secure Shield-XLII and Operation Chanbirok.
Among the names listed under Operation Rakshak are Colonel Ranveer Singh of 207 Army Aviation Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Abhishek Joshi, SM, Lieutenant Colonel Himanshu Sharma, Major Devshree Arvind Sharma, Major Kunal Narula, Major Swapnil Srivastava and Major Akshay Singh. Army Dog Tyson of the Remount Veterinary Corps and 2 Para (Special Forces) has also been recognised through a Mention-in-Despatch.
The Army’s Mention-in-Despatch list also features personnel from Para (Special Forces), Rashtriya Rifles, Assam Rifles, Army Aviation, Territorial Army, Gorkha Rifles, Bihar Regiment, Garhwal Rifles, Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry and several other formations.
The four Indian Navy personnel mentioned in despatches are Commander Nikhil Chugh, Lieutenant Ajay Jose N Joseph, Ashwin Santosh and Abhishek C Dhanawade.
The 10 Indian Air Force personnel are Wing Commander Raja Reddy Lalita Nagesh Kumar, Wing Commander Ammar Haider Naqvi, Wing Commander Manoj Puri Goswami, Squadron Leader Kundarapu Koushik, Flight Lieutenant Parthsarathi Mulay, Master Warrant Officer Brahm Prakash, Master Warrant Officer Anoop Singh, Corporal Mohan Lal Saini, Wing Commander CR Pradeep and Squadron Leader Aviral Gandhi.
With the latest Independence Day honours, personnel serving in some of the country’s most demanding operational environments once again dominate the list. The awards place particular focus on units such as Para Special Forces, Rashtriya Rifles, Assam Rifles and other frontline Army formations, while also recognising service in the Navy, Air Force and the security forces under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Thirteen of the 78 gallantry awards have been conferred posthumously, ensuring recognition for personnel who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.
President Smt Droupadi Murmu has approved 78 Gallantry awards, including 13 posthumous, to the personnel of the Defence Forces and Central Armed Police Forces on the eve of Independence Day 2026. These are: 09 Kirti Chakras including 07 posthumous; 01 Bar to Shaurya Chakra; 19 Shaurya Chakras, including 01 posthumous; 05 Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry); 36 Sena Medals (Gallantry), including 05 posthumous; 03 Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry); and 05 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
| S. No. | RANK & NAME | SERVICE |
| KIRTI CHAKRA | ||
| 1. | IC-76640X LIEUTENANT COLONEL MANEO FRANCIS PF, SC, 21 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES) | ARMY |
| 2. | IC-80956F MAJOR JITENDRA RATHEE, 2 PARA(SPECIAL FORCES) | ARMY |
| 3. | 13627256K HAVILDAR GAJENDRA SINGH,2 PARA(SPECIAL FORCES) (POSTHUMOUS) | ARMY |
| 4. | SHRI JAGBIR SINGH HEAD CONSTABLE (POSTHUMOUS) | MHA |
| 5. | SHRI JASWANT SINGH, SG CONSTABLE (POSTHUMOUS) | MHA |
| 6. | SHRI BALVINDER SINGH, SG CONSTABLE (POSTHUMOUS) | MHA |
| 7. | SHRI TARIQ HUSSAIN, SG CONSTABLE (POSTHUMOUS) | MHA |
| 8. | SHRI BASHIR AHMAD, HEAD CONSTABLE (POSTHUMOUS) | MHA |
| 9. | SHRI SUNIL KUMAR, INSPECTOR STF (POSTHUMOUS) | MHA |
| BAR TO SHAURYA CHAKRA | ||
| 1. | IC-87240L MAJOR ADITYA PRATAP SINGH, SC, SM, THE RAJPUTANA RIFLES, 44 ASSAM RIFLE | ARMY |
| SHAURYA CHAKRA | ||
| 1. | IC-78412N MAJOR PARAMVEER, THE GARHWAL RIFLES, 36 RASHTRIYA RIFLES | ARMY |
| 2. | IC-83437K MAJOR TARUN VASUDEVAN, THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS, 57 RASHTRIYA RIFLES | ARMY |
| 3. | IC-85497X MAJOR KESHAV KUMAR, 12 DOGRA | ARMY |
| 4. | IC-87542X MAJOR GAURAV SINGH BRIJWAL, 21 GRENADIERS | ARMY |
| 5. | SS-50354Y MAJOR VIPEEN KUMAR, THE CORPS OF SIGNALS, 11 RASHTRIYA RIFLES | ARMY |
| 6. | JC-38391A NAIB SUBEDAR SHANKAR RAM, 3 ASSAM RIFLE | ARMY |
| 7. | JC-415451L NAIB SUBEDAR DABBAL SINGH BISHT, 21 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES) | ARMY |
| 8. | 13671448W HAVILDAR JAGATTAR SINGH, 4 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES) | ARMY |
| 9. | 16029546L LANCE NAIK NARENDER SINDHU, THE RAJPUTANA RIFLES, 9 RASHTRIYA RIFLES (POSTHUMOUS | ARMY |
| 10. | 20003223X LANCE NAIK KAPIL DEV, THE DOGRA REGIMENT, 11 RASHTRIYA RIFLES | ARMY |
| 11. | 4498758L SEPOY JASWINDER SINGH, 7 SIKH LIGHT INFANTRY | ARMY |
| 12. | 10119-Y LIEUTENANT COMMANDER SHIVAM KUMAR | NAVY |
| 13. | 34544, SQUADRON LEADER SUDHIR KUMAR, FLYING (PILOT) | AIR FORCE |
| 14. | SHRI DHEERAJ SINGH KATOCH, DYSP | MHA |
| 15. | SHRI AJAY SINGH CHIB, INSPECTOR | MHA |
| 16. | SHRI SUKHVIR SINGH, DY. SP | MHA |
| 17. | SHRI NIYAZ AHMAD, ASSISTANT SUB-INSPECTOR | MHA |
| 18. | SHRI ANJANI KUMAR, DEPUTY COMMANDANT | MHA |
| 19. | SHRI DEEPAK SAH, CONSTABLE | MHA |
| BAR TO SENA MEDAL (GALLANTRY) | ||
| 1. | IC-80335H MAJOR DS PAOSHO, SM, 7 MADRAS | ARMY |
| 2. | IC-83875M MAJOR ANUJ MAHAJAN, SM, THE MECHANISED INFANTRY, 36 ASSAM RIFLES | ARMY |
| 3. | IC-87111L MAJOR KRISHAN KANT, SM, 21 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES | ARMY |
| 4. | TJ-7220M SUBEDAR RAMESH KUMAR, SM,159 INFANTRY BATTALION (TERRITORIAL ARMY) | ARMY |
| 5. | JC-415468Y NAIB SUBEDAR RAJENDRA SINGH, SM, 2 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES) | ARMY |
| SENA MEDAL (GALLANTRY) | ||
| IC-68017M LIEUTENANT COLONEL PUSHKAR VIJAY CHAUDHARY, 27 (INDEPENDENT) R&O FLIGHT | ARMY | |
| IC-74505L LIEUTENANT COLONEL SONAM TOPDEN BHUTIA, 2/8 GORKHA RIFLES | ARMY | |
| IC-78347Y MAJOR SUDHANSU SEKHAR PANI, THE PARA REGIMENT, 9 RASHTRIYA RIFLES | ARMY | |
| IC-79207Y MAJOR MOHIT PODIA, THE REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY, 37 ASSAM RIFLES | ARMY | |
| IC-81637F MAJOR R SAHIL, THE GARHWAL RIFLES, 33 ASSAM RIFLES | ARMY | |
| IC-81799M MAJOR BALENDU KUMAR JHA, 24 GRENADIERS | ARMY | |
| IC-83375P MAJOR RAVI SHANKAR JOSHI, THE RAJPUTANA RIFLES, 57 RASHTRIYA RIFLES | ARMY | |
| IC-83402N MAJOR RUPAM DAS,8 BIHAR | ARMY | |
| IC-84854H MAJOR ARNAV BALI, THE MECHANISED INFANTRY, 9 RASHTRIYA RIFLES | ARMY | |
| IC-85096H MAJOR ANSHUMAN RANJAN,4 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES) | ARMY | |
| SS-50193F MAJOR ARVIND KUMAR, THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS, 33 ASSAM RIFLES | ARMY | |
| IC-85703W CAPTAIN KARAN SINGH CHEEMA, THE ASSAM REGIMENT, 59 RASHTRIYA RIFLES | ARMY | |
| IC-85766Y CAPTAIN HARISH SINGH DEWALI, THE MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY, 17 RASHTRIYA RIFLES | ARMY | |
| IC-85825A CAPTAIN MOHIT RAWAT, THE CORPS OF SIGNALS, 44 ASSAM RIFLES | ARMY | |
| IC-89386X CAPTAIN ANSHUMAAN SINGH, 11 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES) | ARMY | |
| IC-89629X CAPTAIN BANE SWARAJ SUDHIR, 21 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES | ARMY | |
| IC-89864W CAPTAIN PRUTHVIRAJ JAYSING NIGHOT, 21 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES) | ARMY | |
| IC-90222N CAPTAIN SAVIK, 5/9 GORKHA RIFLES | ARMY | |
| IC-90771N LIEUTENANT BHANU PRATAP SINGH, 12 DOGRA | ARMY | |
| IC-91460M LIEUTENANT AMAN PANDEY, 8 BIHAR | ARMY | |
| AR-422L ASSISTANT COMMANDANT BIKASH RAI, 11 ASSAM RIFLES | ARMY | |
| JC-414522P SUBEDAR PAWAN KUMAR, 11 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES) | ARMY | |
| JC-414902N SUBEDAR PERBHAT GAUR, THE PARA REGIMENT, 9 RASHTRIYA RIFLES (POSTHUMOUS) | ARMY | |
| JC-462184A SUBEDAR KANASE NAMDEV BALKRISHNA, 18 MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY | ARMY | |
| JC-512278W SUBEDAR BALJINDER SINGH, 7 SIKH LIGHT INFANTRY | ARMY | |
| JC-534323X NAIB SUBEDAR DAYAL SINGH, THE GARHWAL RIFLES , 36 RASHTRIYA RIFLES | ARMY | |
| 13629139X HAVILDAR L JOEL KOM, 21 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES) | ARMY | |
| 2805482X HAVILDAR MULLA ABIDALI ASHRAFALI, 18 MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY | ARMY | |
| 13627760K LANCE HAVILDAR PALASH GHOSH, THE PARA REGIMENT, 19 RASHTRIYA RIFLES (POSTHUMOUS) | ARMY | |
| 2708808Y NAIK ALI MOHAMMAD KHAN, 24 GRENADIERS | ARMY | |
| 13633700L LANCE NAIK SUJAY GHOSH, THE PARA REGIMENT, 19 RASHTRIYA RIFLES (POSTHUMOUS) | ARMY | |
| 2718494W LANCE NAIK ABHIMANU SINGH, 21 GRENADIERS | ARMY | |
| 3211267F LANCE NAIK BIDHA SINGH, THE JAT REGIMENT, 34 RASHTRIYA RIFLES | ARMY | |
| 4494501H LANCE NAIK PRITPAL SINGH, THE SIKH LIGHT INFANTRY, 19 RASHTRIYA RIFLES (POSTHUMOUS) | ARMY | |
| 4495410L SEPOY HARMINDER SINGH, THE SIKH LIGHT INFANTRY, 19 RASHTRIYA RIFLES (POSTHUMOUS) | ARMY | |
| 13635609N PARATROOPER HIMANSHU KUMAR, 21 PARA (SPECIAL FORCES) | ARMY | |
| NAO SENA MEDAL (GALLANTRY) | ||
| 1. | 06451-K COMMANDER VINEET SHARMA | NAVY |
| 2. | 05739-T COMMANDER YUVRAJ KUMAR | NAVY |
| 3. | 233134- A C AVINASH ANNASO, POA (FD) | NAVY |
| VAYU SENA MEDAL (GALLANTRY) | ||
| 1. | 28651, GROUP CAPTAIN RAHUL JAGOTTA, FLYING (PILOT) | AIR FORCE |
| 2. | 29023, GROUP CAPTAIN RAHUL RAWAT, FLYING (PILOT) | AIR FORCE |
| 3. | 30734, WING COMMANDER ASHISH RAJPOOT, FLYING (PILOT) | AIR FORCE |
| 4. | 36829, FLIGHT LIEUTENANT YASH, FLYING (PILOT) | AIR FORCE |
| 5. | 721298, MASTER WARRANT OFFICER RAVINDERJIT SINGH,PARACHUTE JUMP INSTRUCTOR | AIR FORCE |
The President has also approved 89 Mention-in-Despatches — 75 personnel of the Indian Army, four of the Indian Navy and 10 of the Indian Air Force. The Army’s recognitions span a long list of operations, with personnel cited for service in Operation Rakshak, Operation Hifazat, Operation Orchid, Operation Meghdoot, Operation Snow Leopard, Operation Chakravyuh, Operation Chetheba, Operation Khoijuman, Operation Mount Kangto, Operation Talash, Operation Awang Lekhai, Operation Khoj, Operation Nongren II, Operation Maova-Kiyevi, Operation Secure Shield-XLII and Operation Chanbirok.
Among the names under Operation Rakshak are Colonel Ranveer Singh of 207 Army Aviation Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Abhishek Joshi, SM, Lieutenant Colonel Himanshu Sharma, Major Devshree Arvind Sharma, Major Kunal Narula, Major Swapnil Srivastava and Major Akshay Singh, along with several others. Army Dog Tyson of the Remount Veterinary Corps and 2 Para (Special Forces) has also been mentioned in despatches.
The Army’s Mention-in-Despatches list also includes personnel from Para (Special Forces), Rashtriya Rifles, Assam Rifles, Army Aviation, Territorial Army, Gorkha Rifles, Bihar Regiment, Garhwal Rifles and Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, among other formations.
The four Navy personnel mentioned in despatches are Commander Nikhil Chugh, Lieutenant Ajay Jose N Joseph, Ashwin Santosh and Abhishek C Dhanawade. The 10 Air Force personnel are Wing Commander Raja Reddy Lalita Nagesh Kumar, Wing Commander Ammar Haider Naqvi, Wing Commander Manoj Puri Goswami, Squadron Leader Kundarapu Koushik, Flight Lieutenant Parthsarathi Mulay, Master Warrant Officer Brahm Prakash, Master Warrant Officer Anoop Singh, Corporal Mohan Lal Saini, Wing Commander CR Pradeep and Squadron Leader Aviral Gandhi.
