Two Army personnel this year will be conferred with Kirti Chakra, the second highest peacetime gallantry award. The awards were for operations against terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir last year. The first recipient is Major Tushar Gauba of Jat Regiment while the other awardee is Sepoy Vijay Kumar who died fighting terrorists in an operation in Baramulla in August last. Gauba led an operation in May last year against a group of eight militants who attempted to infiltrate from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara. The highest award Ashok Chakra will be given on Republic Day here on Saturday to wife of Lance Naik Nazir Wani, a terrorist turned soldier who died fighting militants in November last year in Kashmir.
Besides these medals, nine Army personnel will be conferred with Shaurya Chakra, the third highest peacetime gallantry award. They include Lt Colonel Vikrant Prasher (Special Forces), Major Amit Kumar Dimri(14 Rashtriya Rifles), Major Imliakum Keitzar( 4/4 GR), Major Rohit Lingwal(Special Forces), Captain Abhay Sharma(Special Forces), Captain Abhinav Kumar Choudhary(Signals), Lance Naik Ayyub Ali(Rajputana Rifles), Sepoy Ajay Kumar(posthumous) and Sepoy Mahesh H N(44 Rashtriya Rifles).
In all, the President has approved awards of 411 Gallantry and other defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel and others on the eve of the 70thRepublic Day Celebrations. This includes one Ashoka Chakra, four Kirti Chakras, 11 Shaurya Chakras, 28 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, 03 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, 51 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, oneBar to Yudh Seva Medal, nineYudh Seva Medals, twoBar to Vishisht Seva Medals, 120 Vishisht Seva Medals, sixBar to Sena Medals (Gallantry),103 Sena Medals (Gallantry), sevenNao Sena Medals (Gallantry), twoVayu Sena Medals (Gallantry), fiveBar toSena Medals (Devotion to Duty), 35Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty), nineNao Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty) and 14Vayu Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty).
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat is one of the awardees of Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM).
