NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Monday conferred 07 Kirti Chakras, including two posthumous, 15 Vir Chakras, including three posthumous and 29 Shaurya Chakras, including one posthumous, to personnel of the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces and State/UT Police during Phase-I of the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 held at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.The awards were presented for acts of raw courage, unparalleled bravery and total disregard to personal safety in the line of duty, recognising exceptional service across operational theatres.
Gallantry awards for bravery in high-risk operations
The Kirti Chakra, India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award, was conferred on seven personnel, while 15 Vir Chakras and 29 Shaurya Chakras were also awarded for acts of courage and operational excellence.The honours included personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Central Armed Police Forces and State Police, reflecting a wide spectrum of counter-insurgency, combat and security operations.Several awards went to personnel from elite formations such as the Para Special Forces, Rashtriya Rifles, Assam Rifles and CRPF, along with officers involved in high-risk missions across difficult terrains.
Gaganyaan astronaut-designate among Kirti Chakra awardees
Among the Kirti Chakra recipients was Indian astronaut-designate and Indian Air Force officer Group Captain (now Air Commodore) Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, call sign “Papa”, one of the four selected Gagannauts for India’s first human spaceflight mission Gaganyaan.The Kirti Chakra recognises courage, devotion to duty and distinguished service rendered under challenging conditions.
Recognition of sacrifice and supreme courage
The ceremony also honoured personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice, with awards presented posthumously to families of martyrs.A total of two Kirti Chakras, three Vir Chakras and one Shaurya Chakra were awarded posthumously, underscoring the risks faced by security personnel in the line of duty.
| S. No | Name, Rank & Details | Service | Date of Act | Award Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inspector Shri Laxman Kewat / Inspector Shri Rameshwar Prasad Deshmukh | MHA | 16.04.2024 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 2 | Lt Col Neetesh Bharti Shukla, 19 Sikh | Army | 13.07.2024 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 3 | Maj Aditya Pratap Singh, SM, Rajputana Rifles / 44 Assam Rifles | Army | 24.10.2024 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 4 | Maj Ashish Kumar, 7 PARA (SF) | Army | 01.11.2024 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 5 | Constable/GD Sanjay Tiwari / Feda Hussain Dar | MHA | 02.11.2024 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 6 | AC (Now DC) Mohd Shafiq, 26 Assam Rifles | Army | 05.11.2024 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 7 | Lt Cdr Suraj Prashar | Navy | 05.11.2024 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 8 | Ram Goyal, SEA II (Now LS) | Navy | 05.11.2024 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 9 | Constable/GD Saddam Hussain | CRPF | 05.11.2024 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 10 | AC Vipin Wilson, 20 BN CRPF | MHA | 11.11.2024 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 11 | Rifleman Bhoj Ram Sahu, 3 Assam Rifles | Army | 15.11.2024 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 12 | Wg Cdr (Now Gp Capt) Abhimanyu Singh | Air Force | 21.11.2024 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 13 | Maj Bhargav Kalita, Kumaon Regiment / 50 RR | Army | 02.12.2024 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 14 | Maj Leishangthem Deepak Singh, 11 PARA (SF) | Army | 25.04.2025 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 15 | Maj Anshul Balttoo, JAK LI / 32 Assam Rifles | Army | 29.04.2025 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 16 | Maj Shivkant Yadav, 5 PARA (SF) | Army | 12.05.2025 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 17 | Subedar P H Moses, 1 Assam Rifles | Army | 14.05.2025 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 18 | Maj Vivek, Mech Inf / 42 RR | Army | 15.05.2025 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 19 | Rifleman Manglem Sang Vaiphei, 3 Assam Rifles | Army | 09.06.2025 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 20 | Lt Col Ghatage Aditya Shrikumar, 21 PARA (SF) | Army | 13.07.2025 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 21 | Capt Yogender Singh Thakur, 6 PARA (SF) | Army | 21.07.2025 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 22 | Subedar Shamsher Singh, 4 PARA (SF) | Army | 28.07.2025 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 23 | L/Nk Rahul Singh, 4 PARA (SF) | Army | 28.07.2025 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 24 | Rifleman Dhurba Jyoti Dutta, 33 Assam Rifles | Army | 19.09.2025 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 25 | Lt Cdr Dilna K / Lt Cdr Roopa A | Navy | 26.01.2026 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 26 | Col Koshank Lamba, 302 Medium Regiment | Army | 07.05.2025 | Vir Chakra |
| 27 | Gp Capt Ranjeet Singh Sidhu | Air Force | 07.05.2025 | Vir Chakra |
| 28 | Gp Capt Manish Arora | Air Force | 07.05.2025 | Vir Chakra |
| 29 | Gp Capt Animesh Patni | Air Force | 07.05.2025 | Vir Chakra |
| 30 | Gp Capt Kunal Kalra | Air Force | 07.05.2025 | Vir Chakra |
| 31 | Wg Cdr (Now Gp Capt) Joy Chandra | Air Force | 07.05.2025 | Vir Chakra |
| 32 | Lt Col Sushil Bisht, 1988 Independent Medium Battery | Army | 07.05.2025 | Vir Chakra |
| 33 | Sqn Ldr (Now Wg Cdr) Sarthak Kumar | Air Force | 07.05.2025 | Vir Chakra |
| 34 | Sqn Ldr Siddhant Singh | Air Force | 07.05.2025 | Vir Chakra |
| 35 | Sqn Ldr Rizwan Malik | Air Force | 07.05.2025 | Vir Chakra |
| 36 | Flt Lt (Now Sqn Ldr) Aarshveer Singh Thakur | Air Force | 07.05.2025 | Vir Chakra |
| 37 | Nb Sub Satish Kumar, 4 Dogra | Army | 10.05.2025 | Vir Chakra |
| 38 | L/Nk Meenatchi Sundaram A, Artillery / 34 RR | Army | 19.12.2024 | Kirti Chakra |
| 39 | Nb Sub Doleswar Subba, 2 PARA (SF) | Army | 11.04.2025 | Kirti Chakra |
| 40 | Maj Arshdeep Singh, Armd / 1 Assam Rifles | Army | 14.05.2025 | Kirti Chakra |
| 41 | Air Cmde Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair | Air Force | 25.06.2025 | Kirti Chakra |
| 42 | Capt Lalrinawma Sailo, 4 PARA (SF) | Army | 28.07.2025 | Kirti Chakra |
| 43 | L/DFR Baldev Chand, 4 RR (Posthumous) | Army | 19.09.2025 | Shaurya Chakra (Posthumous) |
| 44 | SI (GD) Mohd Imteyaj / CT GD Deepak Chingakham (Posthumous) | MHA | 07.05.2025 | Vir Chakra (Posthumous) |
| 45 | Rifleman Sunil Kumar, 4 JAK LI (Posthumous) | Army | 10.05.2025 | Vir Chakra (Posthumous) |
| 46 | Sepoy Janjal Pravin Prabhakar, Mahar Regt / 1 RR (Posthumous) | Army | 06.07.2024 | Kirti Chakra (Posthumous) |
| 47 | Lt Shashank Tiwari, Army Service Corps / 1 Sikkim Scouts (Posthumous) | Army | 22.05.2025 | Kirti Chakra (Posthumous) |
The Defence Investiture Ceremony is held annually to honour gallantry and distinguished service, highlighting the commitment and sacrifice of India’s armed forces and security personnel in safeguarding national security.
