President Droupadi Murmu Confers 51 Gallantry Awards at Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026

The Kirti Chakra recipients included Lance Naik Meenatchi Sundaram A (Regiment of Artillery/34 RR), Naib Subedar Doleshwar Subba (2 PARA Special Forces), Major Arshdeep Singh (1 Assam Rifles), Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair (IAF), and Captain Lalrinawma Sailo (4 PARA Special Forces). Two of these were awarded posthumously—to Sepoy Janjal Pravin Prabhakar of the Mahar Regiment and Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari of the Army Service Corps.

The Vir Chakra list featured Colonel Koshank Lamba, along with IAF pilots Group Captains Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, Manish Arora, Animesh Patni, and Kunal Kalra—among others honoured for gallantry during active operations.

The Shaurya Chakras went to personnel from the Indian Army, Indian Navy, CRPF, and Assam Rifles, recognised for courage in counter-insurgency and security operations conducted between 2024 and 2026.

The posthumous honours extended further—Rifleman Sunil Kumar (J&K Light Infantry) and two CAPF personnel received the Vir Chakra, while Lance Dafadar Baldev Chand of 4 RR was awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously.

Across regiments, forces, and theatres of operation, the 51 awardees represent a cross-section of India's defence establishment—bound by a common thread of courage displayed under the most demanding of circumstances.

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