President Pranab Mukherjee conferred one Kirti Chakra and 11 Shaurya Chakras on armed forces personnel for “displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion” to duty. Three of the Shaurya Chakras were given posthumously.
The President conferred 43 distinguished service medals — 14 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, three Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and 26 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals — on senior officers.
The medals were given away at a defence investiture ceremony at the Durbar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday.
The Kirti Chakra was awarded to Captain Jaidev of the Parachute Regiment and with the 3rd Battalion of Rashtriya Rifles, for “displaying dauntless courage and extraordinary valour under heavy fire from terrorists” while confronting three terrorists in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Subedar Prakash Chand of Kumaon regiment, Lieutenant-Commander Manoranjan Kumar and Major Abhijai of Corps of Engineers were awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously.
While Subedar Prakash Chand gave up his life preventing an infiltration bid at the Line of Control in 2013, Major Abhijai was killed while manoeuvring a malfunctioning aircraft away from an inhabited area in Uttar Pradesh in 2014.
Lieutenant-Commander Kumar was killed while saving the lives of 94 crew members on board INS Sindhuratna in February last year.
