On the eve of India's 76th Independence Day, President Droupadi Murmu, by virtue of being the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, approved 107 gallantry awards to Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) on Sunday, 14 August.
The awards approved by her include three Kirti Chakra, 13 Shaurya Chakras, two Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 81 Sena Medals (Gallantry), one Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry), and seven Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
President Murmu also approved 40 Mention-in-Despatches to the Army, one to Air Force personnel and another to the Army Dog, Axel (posthumously), for their contributions to the Indian military's operations.
1,082 CAPF Personnel Awarded Service Medals
Additionally, a total of 1,082 police personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces and state forces have been awarded service medals in numerous categories.
Nineteen Delhi Police personnel were also conferred with police medals for distinguished services to the nation.
Forty-two personnel from the Maharashtra police force were awarded the Police Medal for Gallantry, out of which 41 belong to Gadchiroli, a district with Naxalite presence.
The Jammu and Kashmir government conferred gallantry medals to 156 police officers and meritorious services medals to five officers, SSPs Zubair Ahmad Khan, Ramesh Kumar Angral, and Mumtaz Ahmed, Inspector Showkat Ahmad Zargar and ASI Sunil Jalla.
Naik Devendra Pratap Singh Awarded Kirti Chakra
Naik Devendra Pratap Singh was awarded the Kirti Chakra, which is the second highest peacetime gallantry award.
Singh was a part of an operation in Pulwama in January earlier this year where he killed two terrorists in a gunfight.
In its statement ahead of the India's 76th Independence Day, the government announced that BSF constable Sudip Sarkar and Sub-Inspector Paotinsat Guite have also been conferred with the Kirti Chakra posthumously.
Additionally, Wing Commander Deepika Misra, a pilot of the Indian Air Force, was awarded the Vayu Sena medal for her contributions to the rescue efforts during the flash floods that occurred in Madhya Pradesh in August last year.
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