MHA merges four medals into one – Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has introduced a new medal, Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak, after merging four existing medals – Union Home Minister’s Special Operation Medal, Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation, Asadharan Aasuchana Kushalata Padak and Union Home Minister’s Awards for Meritorious Service in Forensic Science.

In 2018, the Union Home Minister’s Special Operation Medal was constituted to recognise those operations that have a high degree of planning and significance for the security of the country. The Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation was also instituted in 2018 for excellence in investigation. The Asadharan Aasuchana Kushalata Padak was instituted in the same year for exceptional performance and indomitable and daring intelligence service. The Union Home Minister’s Awards for Meritorious Service in Forensic Science was introduced in 2010.

In a gazette notification issued on February 1, Additional Secretary Rakesh Kumar Singh said that the Union home minister is pleased to institute the Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak to be conferred on members of the police forces, security organisations and intelligence wing/branch/special branch of states/Union Territories, Central Police Organisations (CPOs), Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), National Security Guard/Assam Rifles, and Forensic Science (Central/State/Union Territories) throughout the Indian Union in consideration for excellence in operations in areas such as counter-terrorism, border action, arms control, Left Wing Extremism, prevention of narcotics smuggling and rescue operation.

The award will be in the form of a medal, styled and designated as the Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak. “The medal will be circular in shape, made of silver gold gilt, and will have embossed on the obverse the symbol of ‘face of Sardar Patel’ in the centre with the words of ‘Jai Bharat’ inscribed below and will have engraved on the upper edge, the words ‘Rashtra Prahari’ (in Hindi) and the words ‘Sentinel of the Nation’ (in English) inscribed on the lower edge. On the reverse, it will have embossed the Ashoka Chakra in the centre with the words ‘Satya Seva Suraksha’ inscribed below,” the notification said.