The Gallantry Awards:
President Droupadi Murmu presented 51 Gallantry Awards during Phase-I of the Defence Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.Among the Kirti Chakra recipients was Indian astronaut-designate and Indian Air Force officer Air CommodorePrasanth Balakrishnan Nair, call sign Papa, one of the four selected Gagannauts for India’s first human spaceflight mission Gaganyaan.Gallantry Awards are the highest state decorations instituted by the Government of India to honor personnel of the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), and State/UT Police forces. They recognize acts of raw courage, unparalleled bravery, and supreme self-sacrifice rendered in the line of duty.
2026 Phase-I Investiture Statistics:
During the June 2026 ceremony, a total of 51 medals were pinned by the President, including several posthumous honors for supreme sacrifice:
Kirti Chakra: 07 awarded (5 to living personnel, 2 posthumously)
Vir Chakra: 15 awarded (12 to living personnel, 3 posthumously)
Shaurya Chakra: 29 awarded (28 to living personnel, 1 posthumously)
