J&K Police
J&K Police

With 72 medals in its kitty the Jammu and Kashmir Police is once again on the top in taking gallantry medals on the occasion of the Republic Day.

The maximum gallantry medals have been given to Jammu and Kashmir police personnel at 72, followed by 65 to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troops, 18 from Maharashtra, 26 from Chhattisgarh, 23 from Jharkhand, 15 from Odisha, eight personnel from Delhi Police and 21 personnel from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

Over 1,000 police personnel have been awarded with different categories of gallantry and service medals on the eve of the 75th Republic Day.  This includes 277 gallantry medals.

After the recent restructuring of medals, a total of 1,132 personnel of police, fire service, home guard, and civil defense and correctional service have been awarded gallantry and service medals on the occasion of Republic Day, 2024, the statement from the Union Home Ministry said.

The medals are now categorized as the President's Medal for Gallantry (PMG), Medal for Gallantry (GM), President's Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM), and Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM).

High level security meeting
Top officers of the Army, J&K Police and security forces during a meetingDefence PRO

133 gallantry awards awarded to security personnel deployed in J&K

Among the 277 gallantry awards, 119 have gone to personnel deployed in Left Wing Extremism-affected areas and 133 to personnel from the Jammu & Kashmir region.

The top category PMG has been accorded to two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel posthumously for their "outstanding contribution in the prestigious task of peacekeeping as part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) as members of the 15th Congo Contingent of BSF at the Moroccan Rapid Deployment Battalion (MORRDB) camp at Butembo." BSF head constables Sanwala Ram Vishnoi and Shishu Pal Singh were killed in the line of action in Congo in July 2022.

The PMG and GM medals are awarded on grounds of "rare conspicuous act of gallantry" and "conspicuous act of gallantry", respectively, in saving life and property, or in preventing crime or arresting criminals, the risk incurred being estimated with due regard to the obligations and duties of the officer concerned, the statement said.

The government, in recent years, has taken steps to transform the Gallantry/Service medals. Sixteen Gallantry/Service medals (for Police, Fire Service, Home Guard & Civil Defence, and Correctional Service) have now been merged into the following four medals:

  • President's Medal for Gallantry (PMG)
  • Medal for Gallantry (GM)
  • President's Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM)
  • Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM)

After the recent restructuring of medals, a total of 1132 personnel have been awarded Gallantry/Service Medals on the occasion of Republic Day 2024.

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