New Delhi, Jan 25 : In anticipation of the 75th Republic Day, the government announced that over 1,000 police personnel have been honored with various categories of gallantry and service medals. Among these awards, 277 are gallantry medals, reflecting the outstanding contributions of individuals in maintaining peace and security.
Following a recent restructuring of medals, a total of 1,132 personnel from police, fire service, home guard, civil defense, and correctional service have been recognized for their gallantry and service on the occasion of Republic Day 2024, according to a statement from the Union Home Ministry. The restructuring has merged 16 gallantry and service medals into four categories, namely President’s Medal for Gallantry (PMG), Medal for Gallantry (GM), President’s Medals for Distinguished Service (PSM), and Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM).
Among the 277 gallantry awards, 119 have been conferred upon personnel deployed in Left Wing Extremism-affected areas, while 133 have been awarded to personnel from the Jammu & Kashmir region. The prestigious PMG has been posthumously accorded to two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, Head Constables Sanwala Ram Vishnoi and Shishu Pal Singh, for their outstanding contribution to peacekeeping as part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO).
The PMG and GM medals are awarded for rare conspicuous acts of gallantry and conspicuous acts of gallantry, respectively, in saving life and property or preventing crime. The PSM is presented for a special distinguished record in service, while the MSM is awarded for valuable service characterized by resourcefulness and devotion to duty.
Jammu and Kashmir police personnel received the highest number of gallantry medals at 72, followed by 65 for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troops, 18 for Maharashtra, 26 for Chhattisgarh, 23 for Jharkhand, 15 for Odisha, eight for Delhi Police, and 21 for the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). The recognition serves to honor the bravery and commitment of these individuals in upholding peace and security across various regions.
