On the eve of the 74th Independence Day, President Ram Nath Kovind, who also happens to be the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, approved 84 gallantry awards for personnel in India’s armed forces and members of the paramilitary Forces for their gallant acts of exemplary valour and bravery to protect the territorial integrity of our nation and maintain the honour of our motherland during peace time.

The 84 gallantry awards which will be conferred to the bravehearts of the defence forces include one Kirti Chakra, nine Shaurya Chakras, five Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 60 Sena Medals (Gallantry), four Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and five Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry), the Defence Ministry announced on the eve of India’s 74th Independence Day.

Head constable Abdul Rashid Kalas of J&K Police (JKP) has been posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra

Head constable Abdul Rashid Kalas of J&K Police (JKP) has been posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra, India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award, for his outstanding bravery, nine security personnel has been conferred on the Shaurya Chakra for their valour.

List of the Nine Shaurya Chakra Recipients

The Shaurya Chakra which also happens to be the third highest gallantry award in peace time will be conferred to both the Indian Army and para military personnel for their conspicuous bravery in counter-terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Shaurya Chakra recipients from the Indian Army are Lt. Col. Krishan Singh Rawat from the elite Special Forces, Major Anil Urs from the 4th Battalion Maratha Light Infantry and Havildar Alok Kumar Dubey of the Rajput Regiment.

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The Shaurya Chakra awardees are Lieutenant Colonel Krishan Singh Rawat; Major Anil Urs; Havildar Alok Kumar Dubey; Wing Commandeer Vishak Nair, JKP’s deputy inspector-general (DIG) Amit Kumar; Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) sub-inspector Mahaveer Prasad Godara (posthumous); CISF head constable Eranna Nayaka (posthumous); CISF constable Mahendra Kumar Paswan (posthumous); and CISF constable Satish Prasad Kushwaha (posthumous).

Wing Commander Vishak Nair of the Indian Air Force will also be accorded with the Shaurya Chakra.

The President also gave the green signal for Sena Medals (gallantry) to be given to 60 Army personnel, four Nao Sena Medal (gallantry) for the Navy and five Vayu Sena Medal (gallantry) for the Indian Air Force. Five Army personnel shall be awarded the Bar to Sena Medal.

President Kovind has also approved 19 Mention-in-Despatches to the Army personnel for their significant contributions in different military operations which include eight posthumous for ‘Operation Meghdoot’ and ‘Operation Rakshak’.

The Shaurya Chakra, the third highest peacetime gallantry award, is awarded for “gallantry otherwise than in the face of the enemy”.