Today morning, the President of India Droupadi Murmu announced 277 gallantry awards to honour their acts of bravery and sacrifice.
Gallantry/Service medals have been given to 1132 individuals from the Police, Fire Service, Home Guard & Civil Defense, and Correctional Service.
For fighting Left Wing Extremism
The majority of the 277 gallantry awards go to 119 individuals from areas impacted by left-wing extremism, 133 individuals from the Jammu and Kashmir region, and 25 individuals from other regions for their bravery.
275 of the 277 gallantry medals have been awarded to 72 J&K Police personnel, 18 Maharashtra personnel, 26 Chhattisgarh personnel, 23 Jharkhand personnel, 15 Odisha personnel, 8 Delhi personnel, 65 CRPF personnel, 21 SSB personnel, and the remaining personnel from other States/UTs and CAPFs.
The government has been working to change the Gallantry/Service awards in recent years. The following four medals, which were previously sixteen Gallantry/Service medals (for Police, Fire Service, Home Guard & Civil Defence, and Correctional Service), have now been combined:
- President’s Medal for Gallantry (PMG)
- Medal for Gallantry (GM)
- President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM)
- Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM)
History of gallantry awards
The Government of India established the first three gallantry awards, the Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, and Vir Chakra, on January 26, 1950. The Government of India established additional gallantry awards, known as Ashoka Chakra Class-I, Class-II, and Class-III, on January 4, 1952. In January 1967, these awards were renamed as Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra, and Ashoka Chakra, respectively.
Twice a year, on Republic Day and Independence Day, these gallantry awards are announced.
