President Droupadi Murmu on the eve of Independence Day approved 103 gallantry awards for personnel of the armed forces and central armed police forces. The awards include four Kirti Chakras, the second highest award during peacetime and 18 Shaurya Chakras, India’s third peace time awards.
Three of the Kirti Chakras and four of the Shaurya Chakras will be awarded posthumously, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
The Kirti Chakra awardees killed in action are Colonel Manpreet Singh of 19 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Rifleman Ravi Kumar of 63 RR, and Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Muzammil Bhat. Major Malla Ram Gopal Naidu is the only living recipient of the honour.
Colonel Manpreet Singh, the commanding officer of 19 RR, was killed in a counter-insurgency operation in Anantnag last year. He was a second-generation army officer and had completed 17 years of service. Singh is survived by his wife, a seven-year-old son, a three-year-old daughter, and his mother.
Bhat, 34, was also killed in the same operation. His father, Ghulam Hassan Bhat, retired as an Inspector General of police in Kashmir.
The DSP’s colleagues then said that he was someone who “always led from the front.” Married in 2022, Bhat is survived by his wife Fatima, a daughter who was only one month old at the time, his father, mother, and a sister.
The medals approved by the President include one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry); 63 Sena Medals (Gallantry), including two posthumous; 11 Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry), and six Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry), the statement said.
Most of the personnel, honoured by the country on Wednesday, demonstrated bravery and leadership during counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir, which is now witnessing a spike in terrorist activity, with encounters taking place almost daily.
The Shaurya Chakra awardees include Colonel Pawan Singh of 666 Army Aviation Squadron (Reconnaissance and Observation), Major CVS Nikhil of 21 Para (Special Forces), Major Aashish Dhonchak of 19 RR (posthumous), Major Tripatpreet Singh of 34 RR, Major Sahil Randhawa of 34 RR, Subedar Sanjeev Singh Jasrotia of 5 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Naib Subedar P Pabin Singha of 56 RR, and Sepoy Pardeep Singh of 19 RR (posthumous).
