Centre issues gallantry award notification for defence personnel, including Operation Sindoor heroes
The Central government has issued a gazette notification in which the citations of the gallantry awardees of defence forces from different operations, including Operation Sindoor, have been notified. The gallantry award citations included in the gazette are mainly of the Air Force and Army.
The central government has released a Gazette notification listing Gallantry awardees of defence forces from different operations, including Operation Sindoor. The gallantry award citations included in the gazette are mainly of Indian Air Force and Indian Army personnel.
127 Gallantry awards and 40 Distinguished Service awards
According to the official statement, President Droupadi Murmu has approved 127 Gallantry awards and 40 Distinguished Service awards to the Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces personnel. These are: 04 Kirti Chakras; 15 Vir Chakras; 16 Shaurya Chakras; 02 Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry); 58 Sena Medals (Gallantry); 06 Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry); 26 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry); 07 Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medals; 09 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and 24 Yudh Seva Medals.
The President has also approved 290 Mention-in-Despatches – 115 personnel of the Indian Army, 05 of the Indian Navy, 167 of the Indian Air Force and 03 of the Border Roads Development Board (BRDB).
Who are the awardees?
Colonel Koshank Lamba of the 302 Medium Regiment has been conferred the Vir Chakra, "who displayed flawless leadership and at a short notice executed first ever air mobilization of a specialised equipment battery, thereby ensuring timely inter-command induction for 'Operation' with utter secrecy." He has been awarded the Vir Chakra for "displaying exceptional bravery, valour and courage under fire reflecting the traditional martial ethos of the Indian Army."
Lieutenant Colonel Sushil Bisht of the 1988 (Independent) Medium Battery has also been awarded the Vir Chakra for leading his unit to a resounding success in a counter-terrorism operation. His leadership and courage destroyed enemy camps.
In the Indian Air Force, Group Captain Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, a flying pilot, awarded the Vir Chakra for exemplary leadership during a high-risk strike mission that achieved all designated objectives against fortified targets. "During an operation, his squadron equipped with the formidable fighter aircraft, was chosen for strike missions over a predetermined target. His squadron subsequently conducted successful strikes over the targets and achieved the desired objectives," the notification reads.
Group Captain Animesh Patni, who commanded a strategic Surface-to-Air Missile squadron at a forward base, us awarded Vir Chakra. Hewas recognised for demonstrating exceptional composure and precision that inflicted heavy losses on adversaries without any damage to his own unit.
Squadron Leader Rizwan Malik received the Vir Chakra for his gallantry during a midnight strike mission through heavily defended enemy airspace. "During a mission at midnight, he flew as deputy mission leader of an unescorted strike package to neutralise predesignated targets that were heavily fortified by latest and highly potent air defence weapon systems. Adversary's airspace had seamless radar cover and was defended round the clock by aircraft equipped with long range state of the art beyond visual range missiles. The opportunity to penetrate this hostile threat envelope was extremely restricted and launch window available to deliver the weapon was miniscule. His profile entailed tactical formation routing at low level by dark night, aggressive manoeuvring to achieve launch parameters to deliver the weapon accurately and evade defences of opposite forces," it said.
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