New Delhi: On the eve of the 77th Independence Day, President Droupadi Murmu has approved 76 gallantry awards, including four Kirti Chakras posthumously and 11 Shaurya Chakras to personnel of the security forces, the Ministry of Defence said on Monday. Of the 11 Shaurya Chakras, five have been named posthumously.
Notably, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra are India's second-highest and third-highest peacetime gallantry awards after the Ashok Chakra.
"President Droupadi Murmu has approved 76 Gallantry awards to Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces personnel on the eve of Independence Day 2023. These include four Kirti Chakras (posthumous), 11 Shaurya Chakras, including five posthumous, two Bar to Sena Medals (gallantry), 52 Sena Medals (gallantry), three Nao Sena Medals (gallantry) and four Vayu Sena Medals (gallantry)," the defence ministry said in a statement.
According to the statement, the Kirti Chakra recipients who received it posthumously are - Dilip Kumar Das, Raj Kumar Yadava, Bablu Rabha and Sambha Roy, all of the Central Reserve Police Force.
The Shaurya Chakra recipients include five personnel who have been named for it posthumously, including Maj Vikas Bhambhu and Maj Mustafa Bohara of Army Aviation Squadron; Hav Vivek Singh Tomar of the Rajputana Rifles, Rifleman Kulbhushan Manta of the Rashtriya Rifles.
"On October 21, 2022, Major Bhambhu, as a pilot and Major Bohara, as a co-pilot were on Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance mission in a RUDRA helicopter along the border in Arunachal Pradesh," the ministry said in its citation, reported PTI.
"At 1028 hours post successful mission completion, 20 km to the border, the helicopter caught fire in a catastrophic manner. This was an unprecedented catastrophic failure. There was a rapid loss of altitude and variation in attitude with aircraft in extremities of limits," it said.
Both the pilots being in "extreme physical and mental stress in a life-threatening situation maintained exemplary composure" and tried to regain control and fly away from the built-up area and ammunition point of mugging to save precious lives, it added.
According to the ministry's citation, Maj Bhambhu and Maj Bohara have been named for the award "in recognition of their unfathomable courage, fortitude and professionalism of exceptional order."
Havildar Vivek Singh Tomar has been chosen for the award "for displaying distinctive raw courage and extreme bravery with utter disregard to personal safety leading for the safety of life of his comrades," his citations read.
As per the statement, IAF's Sqn Ldr G L Vineeth, a flying pilot, posted to the transport aircraft base, has been chosen for a Vayu Sena Medal.
"The President has also approved 30 Mention-in-Despatches to the Army, including to Army dog Madhu (posthumous), and one to Air Force personnel for their significant contributions in different military operations," it said.
The operations include Operation Rakshak, Operation Snow Leopard, Operation Casualty Evacuation, Operation Mount Chomo, Operation Pangsau Pass, Operation Meghdoot, Operation Orchid, Operation Kalisham Valley, Rescue Operation and Operation Evacuation, the statement added.