Gallantry Awards

  • 13 Jun 2026

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Recently, President Droupadi Murmu conferred 51 Gallantry Awards during Phase-I of the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Among the recipients of the Kirti Chakra was Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, an Indian Air Force officer and one of the four astronaut-designates selected for the Gaganyaan mission.

About Gallantry Awards

Gallantry Awards are India's highest civilian military decorations awarded to personnel of the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and State/UT Police Forces for exceptional courage, bravery, and sacrifice in the line of duty.

These awards are announced twice annually:

  • Republic Day
  • Independence Day

Categories of Gallantry Awards

India's gallantry awards are broadly divided into wartime and peacetime categories.

Wartime Gallantry Awards (Instituted in 1950)

  1. Param Vir Chakra – Highest wartime gallantry award.
  2. Maha Vir Chakra – Second-highest wartime gallantry award.
  3. Vir Chakra – Third-highest wartime gallantry award.

These were instituted on 26 January 1950 with retrospective effect from 15 August 1947.

Peacetime Gallantry Awards

Originally instituted in 1952 as Ashoka Chakra Class I, II and III, they were renamed in 1967 as:

  1. Ashoka Chakra – Highest peacetime gallantry award.
  2. Kirti Chakra – Second-highest peacetime gallantry award.
  3. Shaurya Chakra – Third-highest peacetime gallantry award.

Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 (Phase-I)

A total of 51 Gallantry Awards were presented:

  • Kirti Chakra: 7 awards (including 2 posthumous)
  • Vir Chakra: 15 awards (including 3 posthumous)
  • Shaurya Chakra: 29 awards (including 1 posthumous)

Significance

Gallantry Awards recognize extraordinary courage in combat and non-combat situations and serve as a symbol of national gratitude towards personnel who display exceptional devotion to duty and sacrifice.

The inclusion of a Gaganyaan astronaut-designate among the awardees also highlights the growing integration of India's defence, aviation, and space sectors in advancing national capabilities.