President Murmu Presides Over 51 Gallantry Awards at 2026 Defence Investiture Ceremony

President Droupadi Murmu presented 51 gallantry awards, including seven Kirti Chakras, 15 Vir Chakras, and 29 Shaurya Chakras, at the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026, held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on June 8.

The awards were given to members of the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and State and Union Territory Police forces. These honors recognize acts of outstanding courage, notable bravery, and dedication to duty in the face of significant danger during service.

The ceremony included the presentation of seven Kirti Chakras, of which two were awarded posthumously, 15 Vir Chakras, including three posthumous awards, and 29 Shaurya Chakras, with one awarded posthumously.

Kirti Chakra Awardees

The Kirti Chakra, India's second-highest peacetime gallantry honor, was bestowed upon:

• Lance Naik Meenatchi Sundaram A of 34 Rashtriya Rifles
• Naib Subedar Doleshwar Subba of 2 Para (Special Forces)
• Major Arshdeep Singh of 1 Assam Rifles
• Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair of the Indian Air Force
• Captain Lalrinawma Sailo of 4 Para (Special Forces)

The posthumous Kirti Chakra recipients were:

• Sepoy Janjal Pravin Prabhakar of 1 Rashtriya Rifles
• Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari of 1 Sikkim Scouts

Vir Chakras for Operation Sindoor Heroes

The Vir Chakra, India's third-highest wartime gallantry award, was presented to several Army and Air Force personnel for their pivotal roles during Operation Sindoor.

The recipients included:

• Colonel Koshank Lamba
• Group Captain Ranjeet Singh Sidhu
• Group Captain Manish Arora
• Group Captain Animesh Patni
• Group Captain Kunal Kalra
• Group Captain Joy Chandra
• Lieutenant Colonel Sushil Bisht
• Squadron Leader Sarthak Kumar
• Squadron Leader Siddhant Singh
• Squadron Leader Rizwan Malik
• Squadron Leader Aarshveer Singh Thakur
• Naib Subedar Satish Kumar

The posthumous Vir Chakra recipients were:

• Sub-Inspector Mohd Imteyaj
• Constable Deepak Chingakham
• Rifleman Sunil Kumar of 4 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry

Shaurya Chakra Recipients

The Shaurya Chakra, awarded for acts of gallantry not involving direct action with the enemy, was given to 29 individuals from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Assam Rifles, CRPF, and police forces.

Among the notable awardees were:

• Lieutenant Colonel Neetesh Bharti Shukla, 19 Sikh
• Major Aditya Pratap Singh, Rajputana Rifles/44 Assam Rifles
• Major Ashish Kumar, 7 Para (Special Forces)
• Deputy Commandant Mohd Shafiq, Assam Rifles
• Lieutenant Commander Suraj Prashar
• Leading Seaman Ram Goyal
• Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhimanyu Singh
• Major Bhargav Kalita, 50 Rashtriya Rifles
• Major Leishangthem Deepak Singh, 11 Para (SF)
• Major Anshul Baltoo
• Major Shivkant Yadav, 5 Para (SF)
• Lieutenant Commander Dilna K
• Lieutenant Commander Roopa A

Lance Dafadar Baldev Chand of 4 Rashtriya Rifles was posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra.

Honouring Courage and Sacrifice

The awardees were recognized for their exceptional bravery in various operations, including counter-terrorism, anti-insurgency missions, combat engagements, special operations, and rescue missions under extremely challenging conditions.

The Defence Investiture Ceremony serves as one of the highest platforms in the nation to honor the Armed Forces and security personnel for their exemplary valor and unwavering commitment to duty in service of the country.

This event paid tribute to both the recipients and the enduring spirit of sacrifice, courage, and professionalism that continues to characterize India's military and security forces.