New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu awarded distinguished military honours to senior Armed Forces officers during the second phase of the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 held in New Delhi on Monday.

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Vice Chief of the Air Staff-designate, received the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) for his distinguished service of the most exceptional order. Army Chief-designate Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth was conferred the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM) in recognition of his exceptional service during military operations. Major General Mandeep Singh, General Officer Commanding the White Tiger Armoured Division, was honoured with the Sena Medal for his distinguished service.

The President presented the Param Vishisht Seva Medal to Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal to Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, and the Sena Medal to Major General Mandeep Singh during the event.

Earlier, on June 8, President Murmu conferred 51 gallantry awards in the first phase of the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. These included seven Kirti Chakras, 15 Vir Chakras, and 29 Shaurya Chakras awarded to personnel from the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, and State and Union Territory Police.

The Ministry of Defence noted that the awards comprised two Kirti Chakras (posthumous), three Vir Chakras (posthumous), and one Shaurya Chakra (posthumous). The honours recognised personnel who displayed exceptional courage, outstanding bravery, and devotion to duty during operations under challenging conditions.

Among the Kirti Chakra recipients were Lance Naik Meenatchi Sundaram A of the Regiment of Artillery attached to 34 Rashtriya Rifles, Naib Subedar Doleshwar Subba of 2 PARA (Special Forces), Major Arshdeep Singh of 1 Assam Rifles, Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair of the Indian Air Force, and Captain Lalrinawma Sailo of 4 PARA (Special Forces).

Vir Chakra awardees included Colonel Koshank Lamba, along with Indian Air Force pilots Group Captains Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, Manish Arora, Animesh Patni, and Kunal Kalra, as well as other Army and Air Force personnel honoured for gallantry during operations.

The Shaurya Chakra recipients encompassed members of the Army, Navy, Central Reserve Police Force, Assam Rifles, and other security forces. These officers and soldiers demonstrated courage and operational excellence in various counter-insurgency and security operations conducted between 2024 and 2026.

The President also conspicuously honoured posthumous awardees who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. Sepoy Janjal Pravin Prabhakar of the Mahar Regiment and Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari of the Army Service Corps 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 stated that these gallantry awards were presented in recognition of conspicuous bravery, indomitable courage, and selfless service in the face of grave danger.