Subedar Neeraj Chopra, who created history last year by winning India's first athletics gold medal in Olympics, was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal on Tuesday for his distinguished service.
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.
The government has extended the tenure of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan up to May next year.
The pipping ceremony of Olympic gold medallist and Lt. Colonel (Honorary) Neeraj Chopra was held on Wednesday in New Delhi, marking another significant milestone in his decorated career.
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 Kirti Chakra awardees are Major Digvijay Singh Rawat of 21st Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), Major Deependra Vikram Basnet from the Sikh Regiment's fourth battalion and Havildar Pawan Kumar Yadav from the 21st battalion of the Mahar Regiment, according to the defence ministry.
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, an accomplished fighter pilot with more than 5,000 hours of flying experience, on Monday assumed charge as new chief of the Indian Air Force, succeeding incumbent Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari.
Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh has been appointed as the next Chief of the Air Staff.
Former Chief of Army Staff General Sundararajan Padmanabhan, affectionately known as 'Paddy' in army circles, passed away in Chennai due to old age, a source close to him said on Monday.
President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday approved 412 gallantry awards and other defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel and others on the eve of 74th Republic Day.
President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday conferred Distinguished Service Awards, including 52 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, on 84 serving and retired personnel of the armed forces and the Indian Coast Guard.
In appointing Lt Gen Dwivedi, the government followed the seniority principle.
Lieutenant General Shakti Gurung deserves to be complimented in telling his life story and that of his people, as subaltern communities within this vast and diverse nation of ours clamour for recognition and a plea for their voices to be heard and their aspirations to be met, notes Lieutenant General Gautam Moorthy.
Gen Dwivedi, who has vast operational experience along the frontiers with China and Pakistan, was serving as the Vice Chief of the Army.
The Indian Army's XIV Corps -- better known as the Fire and Fury Corps -- has a unique responsibilty since it guards India's borders with China and Pakistan as well as the Siachen Glacier.
He had taken charge as the 25th director general of the Indian Coast Guard on July 19 last year.
The central government on Monday appointed Army Vice Chief Lieutenant General Manoj Pande as the next chief of Indian Army.
Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who is a communication and electronic warfare specialist, on Tuesday assumed charge as the 26th Navy chief after incumbent R Hari Kumar retired from service.
The ceremony will felicitate naval personnel who have demonstrated gallant acts, leadership, professional achievements and distinguished service of a high order.
Before assuming charge of the CDS, Gen Chauhan paid tributes to India's fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial in the India Gate complex.
General Joginder Jaswant Singh, a hero of anti-terrorist operations, on Monday became the first Sikh officer to don the mantle of the chief of the army staff.
Military affairs experts said his key challenge will be to build consensus among the three services for the theaterisation plan as the Indian Air Force has some apprehensions about its roll-out.
The President on Thursday conferred awards of 368 Gallantry and other Defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel and others as part of the 63rd Republic Day Celebrations.
'He has remained the leader of our course all through 40 years, not allowing his energy and enthusiasm to fade. And through all his achievements, he has remained grounded.' Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd) salutes his NDA coursemate Amar Preet Singh as he takes over as Chief of the Air Staff.
Corporal Nirala, disregarding personal safety and displaying indomitable courage, retaliated with effective lethal fire and gunned down two category A terrorists and injured two others.
This is the first time that a retired officer has been appointed at this position for which a gazette notification was issued to announce the change in rules for the appointment.
Naravane's appointment has been cleared at the highest level, adding the government has followed the principle of seniority in the appointment.
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.
With General Naravane taking charge, all three services chiefs, including navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh and the Indian Air Force's Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, are now from the 56th course of the National Defence Academy.
Lt Gen Baggavalli Somashekar Raju will take over as the next vice chief of the Army Staff on May 1, the defence ministry said on Friday.
The Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra were posthumously awarded to Major David Manlun and Major Satish Dahiya, who lost their lives while fighting with terrorists in Nagaland and Jammu and Kashmir.
Vice Admiral Lanba, who will proceed to New Delhi to take over as the Chief of Naval Staff on Tuesday, handed over the command to Luthra at a ceremonial parade in Mumbai on Monday morning.
Nine army men have been awarded Shaurya Chakra, the third highest peacetime gallantry award.
Singh will succeed Admiral Sunil Lanba who retires on May 31.
The President has approved award of 398 gallantry and other defence decorations to armed forces personnel and others on the eve of the 68th Republic Day Celebrations.
Lieutenant General Arvinder Singh Lamba, a senior Artillery officer with commando training, took over as the Army's vice chief. He replaces Lieutenant General P C Bharadwaj, who retired on November 30.
Gen. Chibber was commissioned into the Army on June 2, 1995, and was posted in Afghanistan from 1972 to 1975 as a military attache.
Lt Gen Naravane is currently serving as Vice Chief of the Army. In his 37 years of service, Lt Gen Naravane has served in numerous command and staff appointments in peace, field and highly active counter-insurgency environments in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.
Bharatan succeeds Vice Admiral Yashwant Prasad.
Minister of State for Defence B K Handique, Defence Secretary Ajay Vikram Singh, Air Marshall Arjan Singh, Vice-Chief of Army Staff V K Thakur, former prime minister I K Gujral and a host of admirers of the late hero placed wreaths on the body.
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