President Droupadi Murmu on Monday conferred Distinguished Service Decorations on personnel of the Armed Forces and the Indian Coast Guard during the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 (Phase-II) held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, recognising exceptional leadership, distinguished service and operational excellence.
Among the dignitaries present at the ceremony were the Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The honours comprised 7 Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medals (SYSM), 30 Param Vishisht Seva Medals (PVSM), 12 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals (UYSM) and 56 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals (AVSM), awarded for distinguished service of an exceptional order.
Among the prominent awardees were Operation Sindoor heroes Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai and Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, who were both conferred the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal, India’s highest distinguished wartime service decoration.
Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, from the Kumaon Regiment, was honoured for spearheading military operations as the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) during Operation Sindoor. Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, a distinguished fighter pilot, was recognised for his pivotal role in the Indian Air Force’s operations during the mission.
Air Marshal Bharti had drawn national attention during media briefings on Operation Sindoor when he quoted a verse from the Ramcharitmanas: “Vinay na maanat jaladh jad gaye teen din beeti. Bole Ram sakop tab, bhay binu hoye na preeti,” underscoring the importance of strength in ensuring peace.
Among other recipients of the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal were Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh (Retd), Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari (Retd), and Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra.
The Param Vishisht Seva Medal was conferred upon Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Vice Chief of the Air Staff-designate, for distinguished service of the most exceptional order. Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, who assumed office as the 27th Chief of the Naval Staff on May 31, 2026, was also awarded the PVSM.
Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff and set to assume charge as the next Chief of the Army Staff from June 30, received the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal in recognition of his distinguished service during military operations.
Major General Mandeep Singh, General Officer Commanding of the White Tiger Armoured Division, was honoured with the Sena Medal for his distinguished service.
Among those conferred the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal were Surgeon Vice Admiral Vivek Hande (formerly Surgeon Rear Admiral) and Indian Coast Guard Additional Director General Donny Michael, recognising their exceptional contributions to military medical services and maritime security, respectively.
Earlier this month, President Murmu had presented 51 Gallantry Awards during Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 (Phase-I) at Rashtrapati Bhavan. These included seven Kirti Chakras, 15 Vir Chakras and 29 Shaurya Chakras, recognising personnel of the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, and State and Union Territory Police for acts of exceptional courage, bravery and devotion to duty.
The gallantry awards included two Kirti Chakras (Posthumous), three Vir Chakras (Posthumous) and one Shaurya Chakra (Posthumous). Among the Kirti Chakra awardees were Lance Naik Meenatchi Sundaram A, Naib Subedar Doleshwar Subba, Major Arshdeep Singh, Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair and Captain Lalrinawma Sailo.
The Vir Chakra recipients included Colonel Koshank Lamba and several Indian Air Force officers, including Group Captains Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, Manish Arora, Animesh Patni and Kunal Kalra. Shaurya Chakra awardees comprised personnel from the Army, Navy, CRPF, Assam Rifles and other security forces who displayed exemplary courage during counter-insurgency and security operations conducted between 2024 and 2026.
The President also honoured personnel who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. Among the posthumous awardees were Sepoy Janjal Pravin Prabhakar of the Mahar Regiment and Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari of the Army Service Corps, who received the Kirti Chakra (Posthumous). Rifleman Sunil Kumar of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry and two personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces were awarded the Vir Chakra (Posthumous), while Lance Dafadar Baldev Chand of 4 Rashtriya Rifles received the Shaurya Chakra (Posthumous).
The Ministry of Defence said the distinguished service and gallantry awards honour personnel for exceptional leadership, operational excellence, conspicuous bravery, indomitable courage and selfless service in safeguarding the nation’s security.
(With agency inputs)
