Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the 'Shaurya Yatra' in Somnath, Gujarat, honouring those who defended the Somnath temple. He also offered prayers and paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
A tourist from Bhopal died in a road accident in North Goa after his car was hit by an SUV allegedly driven by a 19-year-old. Police are investigating the incident and have arrested the driver for rash and negligent driving.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station, has been awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award. The award recognizes his contributions to the Axiom-4 mission and India's advancements in human space exploration.
UP Prometheans and Rajasthan Regals maintain their lead in the DP World PGTI 72 The League after winning all their matches in the third round.
A CoBRA commando of the CRPF, who was fatally shot by a Maoist sniper while establishing a new base in Chhattisgarh, was posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra, India's third highest peacetime gallantry medal. Constable Pawan Kumar and Constable Devan C, both from the 201 CoBRA battalion, were recognized for their bravery and courage in the face of a Naxal attack. In addition to the two posthumous awards, five other CRPF personnel received the Shaurya Chakra for their roles in two separate operations against Naxals.
Young marksman Shourya Saini clinched the men's 50m rifle 3-positions silver medal as India's dominance in the shooting competition of Deaflympics continued in Tokyo on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that forces opposing the reconstruction of the Somnath temple after independence are still active and that India needs to be vigilant and united to counter them. He highlighted the temple's history of resilience against repeated attacks and emphasized the importance of remembering the sacrifices made to protect it.
'China's basic purpose of taking the Shaksgam Valley was access to the Indian Ocean.'
'Had I been launched as a leading actor, it would probably have worked better.' 'Prabhu Devaa came eight years after me. Maybe if a filmmaker had thought of a film for me like the ones he got, my career would have been a different trajectory.'
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have deported 60 Pakistanis, including the mother of a Shaurya Chakra awardee who was killed in a terror attack. The deportees, comprising wives and children of ex-militants, were taken to Punjab and will be handed over to Pakistani authorities at the Wagah border. The move comes in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, with the Centre taking several measures against Pakistan.
Days after the Pahalgam terror attack, Jammu and Kashmir authorities have deported 59 Pakistani nationals, including the mother of Shaurya Chakra awardee Constable Mudasir Ahmad Sheikh. The Pakistani nationals were living in the valley for decades and were transported to Punjab for repatriation. However, the mother of the deceased soldier was later allowed to stay back. The deportation comes after the Indian government announced a slew of measures against Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the downgrading of diplomatic relations.
A man was arrested in Bihar's West Champaran district for allegedly making an extortion call to BJP's Lok Sabha chief whip Sanjay Jaiswal, demanding Rs 10 crore and threatening his son's life.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at the Statue of Unity, commemorating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary with a unity pledge and parade.
India recognised acts of gallantry by armed forces personnel and senior military officers involved in Operation Sindoor, along with other distinguished service awards, on the eve of the 79th Independence Day.
'People are enjoying freedom in everyday life because of their sacrifice.'
Three personnel, including two of major-rank and one naib subedar, have been conferred the Kirti Chakra, the ministry said.
'5465 was over 17,000 feet -- our eyes were out of the sockets by the time we got to the top.' 'We had not eaten in 2-3 days and climbed in extremely difficult terrain.' 'I was there for 5-6 days, but had to be evacuated because I started vomiting blood.'
Kabir, the son of Col Manpreet Singh, who was killed fighting terrorists in Kashmir, believes his father will return home after receiving the Kirti Chakra. The 10-year-old boy, who lit his father's pyre 19 months ago, clings to the hope that his father is alive and well, despite the reality of his death.
'The Pakistanis knew there was only one route up and they could take direct aim at us as we climbed up.' 'They knew they could kill us.'
President Droupadi Murmu has approved 76 gallantry awards, including four Kirti Chakras posthumously and 11 Shaurya Chakras to personnel of the security forces, on the eve of the 77th Independence Day, officials said.
No politician should use such language, the Bharatiya Janata Party said on Friday as it chastised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her choice of words targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday conferred eight Kirti Chakras, including five posthumously, to personnel of the Army and paramilitary and police forces for displaying indomitable courage and extraordinary valour in the line of duty.
As pipes played and ceremonial commands echoed across the parade ground, a subtle but sharp undertone ran beneath the pride -- the knowledge that these young men may soon be called to act in a world where real-time threats blur the lines between battlefield and cyberspace.
President Droupadi Murmu has approved gallantry awards to 93 armed forces personnel, including two Kirti Chakras and 14 Shaurya Chakras, on the eve of Republic Day. The Kirti Chakras, India's second-highest peacetime gallantry award, have been awarded to Major Manjit from 22 Rashtriya Rifles and posthumously to Naik Dilwar Khan, 28 Rashtriya Rifles. The president also approved 305 defense decorations to Armed Forces and other personnel.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been awarded the highest number of police gallantry medals, 21, including two Shaurya Chakras, on the eve of Republic Day. A total of 95 bravery medals were awarded to personnel from state and central police forces, fire service, home guard, civil defence, and correctional services. The CRPF's medals included 11 for operations in Jammu and Kashmir, seven for anti-Maoist operations, and one for an operation in the northeast. The second-highest number of medals went to Uttar Pradesh (17), followed by Jammu and Kashmir (15), Chhattisgarh (11), and the Border Security Force (5).
The attacks against the Pakistani air force have taken them at least five years back and caused great damage to them and their Chinese and Turkish inventory of weapons.
'It is typical of China's strategic deception of making virtue out of necessity,' observes Rup Narayan Das.
The 2003 BSF operation that eliminated terrorist Gazi Baba in Jammu and Kashmir, the subject of an upcoming action film, "Ground Zero," crippled the Jaish-e-Mohammed. The mission, which earned the BSF a dozen gallantry awards, is being portrayed in the film releasing on April 25. The operation, described in the BSF's 50th anniversary book, involved a daring raid on a house in Srinagar where Gazi Baba was hiding. The BSF faced heavy gunfire and grenades, with officers sustaining injuries and one constable, Balbir Singh, being killed while protecting his superior officer, Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey. Dubey, who led the operation, received the Kirti Chakra, India's third highest peacetime gallantry award.
The surface-to-surface tactical missile was blasted off from a canister strapped to the ground launcher from launch complex 4 of the Integrated Test Range in the APJ Abdul Kalam Island around 12.10 pm.
President Droupadi Murmu conferred 26 Shaurya Chakras (seven posthumous) to personnel of the armed forces, Central Armed Police Forces and state/Union Territory Police during a defence investiture ceremony.
The medal was parcelled to his home. He sent it back. 'It should be conferred at the ceremonial function at Rashtrapati Bhavan.'
Thirty-one army personnel too have been awarded the Sena (gallantry) medal.
'As a child, I didn't even know that he was an IPS officer... It was much later when I came back to India'
The sky outside was a perfect blue with fair winds on that hot day in July, but inside the Jaguar an emergency was unraveling with every passing second. Wing Commander Vernon Desmond Keane had two options: Eject and see his beloved aircraft crash -- which would come at a great cost to the nation and cause harm to civilian life and property on the ground. Or try the limits of his training; push the aircraft and his flying skills to the edge of technical and human endurance and save them both.
Col Singh was a combat veteran and was awarded Sena Medal during his tenure as second-in-command of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles.
'No matter how much you get paid or how successful you get, nothing can match the fauj.'
While Indian Air Force ace pilot Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman was accorded the Vir Chakra, Army Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal, who was killed in the 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack, was accorded the Shaurya Chakra (posthumously) by President Ram Nath Kovind in an investiture ceremony on Monday.
Along with the six personnel who have been awarded Shaurya Chakra, 19 personnel have been awarded Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), 33 have been awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and 77 have been awarded Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) for their distinguished service, the Army noted.
The NIA on Wednesday took over the probe in the murder case of Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh Sandhu, who was gunned down by two bike-borne men under a conspiracy by Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorists and ISI handlers, an official said.
Earlier, the family had refused to cremate the body unless the accused were arrested, but then agreed to conduct the last rites after an assurance was given by the Tarn Taran district administration about prompt action in the case.
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