President Droupadi Murmu on July 5 conferred 10 Kirti Chakras, including seven posthumously, to personnel of the Army and paramilitary forces for displaying indomitable courage and extraordinary valour in the line of duty.
Kirti Chakra is India's second-highest peacetime gallantry award.
President Murmu, who is the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, also presented 26 Shaurya Chakras, including seven posthumously, to the personnel of the armed forces, Central Armed Police Forces and state/Union Territory police during a defence investiture ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the defence ministry said in a statement.
Sepoy Pawan Kumar of The Grenadiers, 55th Battalion, the Rashtriya Rifles; Captain Anshuman Singh of the Army Medical Corps, 26th Battalion, the Punjab Regiment; and Havildar Abdul Majid, 9th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) from the Indian Army have been conferred the Kirti Chakra posthumously, according to the list of awardees shared in the statement.
Inspector Dilip Kumar Das, Head Constable Raj Kumar Yadava, Constable Bablu Rabha and Constable Sambhu Roy of 210 CoBRA Battalion, CRPF have been also conferred the Kirti Chakra posthumously.
Three personnel, including two of major-rank and one naib subedar, have been conferred the Kirti Chakra, the Ministry said.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan later also shared pictures from the ceremony on its official X handle.
"President Droupadi Murmu conferred Kirti Chakra upon Captain Anshuman Singh, The Army Medical Corps, 26th Battalion The Punjab Regiment, posthumously. Disregarding his own safety, he exhibited exceptional bravery and resolve to rescue many people in a major fire incident," it said.
The award was received by his mother Manju Singh and his wife Smriti from President Droupadi Murmu. Ms. Smriti, after receiving the award, recalled the story of how she met Captain Anshuman Singh. “We met on the first day of college and it was love at first sight,” she said.
“Unfortunately, within two months of marriage, he was posted in Siachen. On July 18 (2023), we had a long conversation about the next 50 years of our life. On July 19, I got a call that he’s no more...,” Ms. Smriti added.
In another post, it wrote, "President Droupadi Murmu confers Kirti Chakra on Major Digvijay Singh Rawat, 21st Battalion The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces). In Manipur, he established an intelligence network, which enabled him to map all Valley-based Insurgent Groups (VBIGs) accurately. In one of the operations, he apprehended three insurgents by physically overpowering them," the Rashtrapati Bhavan posted.
The gallantry awards were given for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty, the ministry said.
"Attended the Defence Investiture Ceremony-2024 (Phase-1) at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where Rashtrapati Ji presented the Gallantry Awards. Our nation is proud of the valour and dedication of our brave soldiers. They exemplify the highest ideals of service and sacrifice. Their courage will always inspire our people," Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X and also shared photos.
A constable of J&K Police was also bestowed a Shaurya Chakra posthumously, besides six other personnel from the Army.
A group of personnel from the Army, the Air Force, Navy and those rendering services under the Ministry of Home Affairs have also been conferred the Shaurya Chakra, according to the list.
The Shaurya Chakra is India's third-highest peacetime gallantry award after the Ashok Chakra and Kirti Chakra.
(with inputs from PTI)
