President Droupadi Murmu conferred India's top gallantry honours at the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 (Phase-I) held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday, 8 June 2026, recognising extraordinary acts of valour by personnel of the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, and allied security agencies. Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were present at the ceremony.

The awards spanned operations against terrorism and insurgency in Jammu & Kashmir and the Northeast, as well as acts of courage in aviation, maritime missions, and humanitarian operations along India's borders.

Shaurya Chakra Recipients

Major Ashish Kumar was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for leading a prolonged counter-terrorist operation in Anantnag in November 2024, which resulted in the elimination of two terrorists, including a Category A++ operative. Constable Sanjay Tiwari and Constable Feda Hussain Dar were honoured for neutralising a foreign terrorist during close-quarter combat in Srinagar's Khanyar area, despite sustaining multiple gunshot and splinter injuries.

Assistant Commandant Mohd Shafiq, Lieutenant Commander Suraj Prashar, Ram Goyal, and Constable Saddam Hussain were recognised for their bravery during Operation Chuntawadi in Bandipora, where coordinated action led to the elimination of heavily armed terrorists under intense enemy fire. Assistant Commandant Vipin Wilson received the Shaurya Chakra for leading the neutralisation of 10 heavily armed insurgents during a major attack in Manipur's Jiribam district.

Other Shaurya Chakra awardees included Rifleman Bhoj Ram Sahu for a counter-infiltration operation along the Indo-Myanmar border; Wing Commander Abhimanyu Singh for safely recovering a fighter aircraft after a catastrophic mid-air canopy failure despite serious injuries; Major Bhargav Kalita for eliminating a Category A++ terrorist in a surgical ambush; and Major Leishangthem Deepak Singh for rescuing a kidnapped civilian and neutralising insurgents.

Major Anshul Baltoo, Major Shivkant Yadav, Subedar P H Moses, Major Vivek, Rifleman Manglem Sang Vaiphei, Lieutenant Colonel Ghatage Aditya Shrikumar, Captain Yogender Singh Thakur, Subedar Shamsher Singh, and Naik Rahul Singh were also decorated for battlefield leadership and courage across Jammu & Kashmir and the Northeast. Rifleman Dhurba Jyoti Dutta was honoured for driving an ambushed military vehicle to safety despite multiple gunshot wounds, saving the lives of fellow soldiers. Lieutenant Commander Dilna K and Lieutenant Commander Roopa A were recognised for their endurance and courage during Navika Sagar Parikrama-II, a historic circumnavigation voyage aboard INSV Tarini.

Vir Chakra Awardees

Colonel Koshank Lamba received the Vir Chakra for leading precision engagements that destroyed terrorist infrastructure. Group Captain Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, Group Captain Manish Arora, Group Captain Animesh Patni, Group Captain Kunal Kalra, Group Captain Joy Chandra, Lieutenant Colonel Sushil Bisht, Wing Commander Sarthak Kumar, Squadron Leader Siddhant Singh, Squadron Leader Rizwan Malik, and Squadron Leader Aarshveer Singh Thakur were decorated for roles in complex air and ground operations involving precision strikes, air defence missions, and the destruction of strategic enemy targets.

Naib Subedar Satish Kumar was recognised for exemplary leadership in counter-bombardment operations along the Line of Control, maintaining tactical dominance under heavy enemy fire.

Kirti Chakra Honours

The Kirti Chakra — India's second-highest peacetime gallantry award — was conferred on several personnel. Lance Naik Meenatchi Sundaram A was honoured for neutralising a terrorist despite severe injuries during a firefight in Kulgam. Naib Subedar Doleshwar Subba received the award for eliminating two terrorists in close combat in Kishtwar. Major Arshdeep Singh was recognised for leading from the front and neutralising multiple armed cadres during a counter-insurgency operation.

Notably, Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, one of India's selected Gaganyatris, was awarded the Kirti Chakra for his contribution to India's human spaceflight programme and his readiness to undertake high-risk space missions. Captain Lalrinawma Sailo earned the honour for neutralising three hardcore terrorists during a special forces operation in Srinagar district.

Posthumous Awards

Posthumous gallantry awards underscored the supreme sacrifices made in service of the nation. Lance Dafadar Baldev Chand was awarded the Shaurya Chakra (Posthumous) for engaging terrorists in hand-to-hand combat despite fatal injuries. Sepoy Janjal Pravin Prabhakar received the Kirti Chakra (Posthumous) after neutralising two terrorists before making the ultimate sacrifice.

Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari was awarded the Kirti Chakra (Posthumous) for sacrificing his life while rescuing a fellow soldier from a raging river in North Sikkim. The Vir Chakra (Posthumous) was conferred on Sub-Inspector Mohd Imteyaj and Constable Deepak Chingakham of the Border Security Force (BSF), who continued fighting despite grievous injuries during heavy cross-border shelling. Rifleman Sunil Kumar was also awarded the Vir Chakra (Posthumous) for neutralising an aerial threat before succumbing to his injuries.

The ceremony stands as a formal national acknowledgement of the sustained human cost of India's security operations — from the mountains of Kashmir to the rivers of Sikkim — and a reminder that the country's stability rests on acts of courage that rarely make headlines until they are recognised at Rashtrapati Bhavan.