Nation Honors its Heroes on Independence Day
On its 79th Independence Day, India paid tribute to the exceptional bravery and selfless service of its armed forces personnel. A distinguished list of soldiers and officers were conferred with prestigious gallantry and service awards, with many honors recognizing the exemplary courage displayed during the critical 'Operation Sindoor'.
Recognizing Courage and Sacrifice
The awards highlighted acts of valor across various operations. The nation's second-highest peacetime gallantry award, the Kirti Chakra, was awarded to four personnel, including Capt Lalrinawma Sailo and Lt Shashank Tiwari. The Vir Chakra, a leading wartime gallantry honor, was conferred upon four soldiers for their conspicuous bravery in the face of the enemy.
Eight army personnel were decorated with the Shaurya Chakra for their courage and self-sacrifice. The highest echelons of military leadership were also recognized, with Lt Gen Pratik Sharma and Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai receiving the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal for their distinguished service of the most exceptional order during wartime.
In addition to the army personnel, nine Indian Air Force fighter pilots who conducted the strikes on terror targets within Pakistan during Operation Sindoor were also decorated with gallantry awards. This year's honors list serves as a powerful reminder of the dedication and heroism of the Indian armed forces in protecting the nation's integrity and security.
Full List of Honourees
Award | Name | Service/Unit |
Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal | Lt Gen Pratik Sharma | Northern Command |
Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai | DGMO | |
Kirti Chakra | Capt Lalrinawma Sailo | Para (SF) |
Lt Shashank Tiwari | ASC, Sikkim Scouts | |
L/Nk Meenatchi Sundaram A | Artillery, RR | |
Sep Janjal Pravin Prabhakar | Mahar, RR | |
Uttam Yudh Seva Medal | Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Katiyar | Western Command |
Lt Gen Prashant Srivastava | 15 Corps | |
Lt Gen Prasanna Kishore Mishra | 16 Corps | |
Vir Chakra | Col Koshank Lamba | Med Regt |
Lt Col Sushil Bisht | Med Bty | |
Nb Sub Satish Kumar | Dogra | |
Rfn Sunil Kumar | JAK LI | |
Shaurya Chakra | Lt Col Neetesh Bharti Shukla | Sikh |
Maj Bhargav Kalita | Kumaon, RR | |
Maj Ashish Kumar | Para (SF) | |
Maj Aditya Pratap Singh, SM | Assam Rifles | |
Asst Comdt Mohd Shafiq | Assam Rifles | |
Sub Shamsher Singh | Para (SF) | |
L/Nk Rahul Singh | Para (SF) | |
Rfn Bhoj Ram Sahu | Assam Rifles | |
Yudh Seva Medal | Maj Gen Sandeep Sudarshan Sharda | ADGPI |
Brig Rakesh Nair | Infantry | |
Brig Vivek Goel | AAD | |
Brig Surjeet Kumar Singh | Intelligence | |
Brig Sonender Singh | Engineers | |
Brig Vivek Puri | Infantry | |
Brig Mudit Mahajan | Infantry | |
Sub Vinod Kumar | AAD | |
Nb Sub Ratneswar Ghosh | AAD |
