CM Dhami Hosts President's Colour Award for Uttarakhand Police
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
A ceremonial moment of national recognition unfolded at Police Lines, Dehradun, on Friday, 6 November 2026, as Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami presided over the Rashtrapati Nishan Alankaran Samaroh — the Presidential Colour Award ceremony — honouring the Uttarakhand Police in the distinguished presence of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah.
What the Presidential Colour means for Uttarakhand Police
The Presidential Colour — Rashtrapati Nishan — is among the highest honours the Indian state can confer on a police or armed force. It is awarded by the President of India in recognition of an organisation's distinguished service to the nation and its sustained record of operational excellence. For Uttarakhand Police, receiving this honour at Police Lines, Dehradun, marks a formal acknowledgement of the force's service record by the highest constitutional authority in the country.
The ceremony was broadcast live, with CM Dhami sharing it directly on his official handle — underlining the event's significance to the state government and its police personnel.
Amit Shah's presence and the Centre-state policing link
Amit Shah, as Union Minister of Home Affairs, oversees internal security coordination with all state police forces across India. His attendance at the Dehradun ceremony was described by CM Dhami as 'garimamay upasthiti' — a 'dignified presence' — reflecting the weight the state government places on this central recognition. Presidential Colour ceremonies are periodic events conducted under the Home Ministry's framework and represent one of the most visible expressions of centre-state coordination on policing matters.
Uttarakhand, a strategically sensitive state sharing international borders with China and Nepal, maintains a police force that operates across challenging Himalayan terrain. National recognition of this nature carries particular resonance for the state's officers and personnel on the ground.
A tradition of operational recognition
The Presidential Colour is not automatically awarded on a schedule — it is conferred selectively, when a force's record warrants the distinction. State police forces that have received it join a list that includes some of India's most storied uniformed services. For Uttarakhand Police, it places the force's contributions — from disaster response in a seismically active Himalayan state to border-area security — squarely on the national record.
The ceremony at Police Lines, Dehradun, with the Union Home Minister in attendance and the Chief Minister as host, signals a moment the state's police leadership and rank-and-file will carry as an institutional milestone. The uniform earns its colour today.