Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jan 25: On the eve of this year’s Republic Day, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday announced the names of 982 personnel from Police, Fire Services, Home Guard, Civil Defence and Correctional Services who will be honoured with gallantry and service medals for their exceptional bravery and dedication.
The awards include Gallantry Medals, the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service and the Medal for Meritorious Service. Of the total 982 medals to be conferred, 125 are Gallantry Medals, 101 President’s Medals for Distinguished Service and 756 Medals for Meritorious Service.
According to the official MHA statement, in the Police category, 121 officers and personnel have been selected for the Gallantry Medal, while four belong to the Fire Services. Under the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service category, 89 awards will be given to Police personnel, five to Fire Services, three to Civil Defence and Home Guard, and four to Correctional Services.
Out of the 756 Medals for Meritorious Service, 664 have been awarded to Police personnel, 34 to Fire Services, 33 to Civil Defence and Home Guard Services, and 25 to Correctional Services.
The senior-most police officer to receive a Gallantry Medal this year is Bihar Director General of Police (Special Task Force) Kundan Krishnan. Two of his juniors—Sub-Inspector Arjun Lal and Constable Jitendra Singh—have also been selected for the gallantry honour.
Personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police received the highest number of Gallantry Medals, followed by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which has been actively engaged in anti-Naxal operations, and the Border Security Force (BSF), tasked with guarding India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. The J&K Police secured a record 33 Gallantry Medals, leading all state police forces and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
Among the prominent awardees are IPS officer Tanushree, Senior Superintendent of Police Sahabir Nawab, and Deputy Superintendent of Police Javaid Ahmad Lone.
Maharashtra Police followed J&K with 31 personnel selected for Gallantry Medals, of whom 28 are constables. The CRPF received 12 gallantry awards, while the Uttar Pradesh Police and Chhattisgarh Police received 19 and 14 respectively.
For the Fire Services, a total of 39 awards have been announced, including four Gallantry Medals, five President’s Medals for Distinguished Service and 34 Medals for Meritorious Service.
In the Home Guard and Civil Defence category, three personnel will receive the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service and 33 will be honoured with the Medal for Meritorious Service. In the Correctional Services category, four personnel have been selected for the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service and 25 for the Medal for Meritorious Service.
The MHA said the annual honours recognise the bravery, dedication and distinguished service of officers and personnel across states, Union Territories and CAPFs. The medals will be presented as part of the Republic Day celebrations, acknowledging their exceptional contribution towards maintaining law and order and public safety across the country.