1,057 Personnel Awarded Gallantry, Service Medals On Independence Day

NEW DELHI, Aug 14: A total of 1,057 personnel from the Police, Fire, Home Guard & Civil Defence and Correctional Services have been awarded Gallantry and Service Medals on the occasion of Independence Day 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Friday.

Of the total awards, 301 are Medals for Gallantry (GM), including 272 awarded to police personnel and 29 to fire service personnel. The medal is conferred for conspicuous acts of gallantry in saving life and property, preventing crime or arresting criminals, with the risks involved assessed in the context of the personnel’s duties and responsibilities.

Among the 301 gallantry medal recipients, 197 personnel are from Left Wing Extremism-affected areas, 51 from Jammu and Kashmir, 12 from the Northeast and 41 from other regions.

In the service medal category, 92 President’s Medals for Distinguished Service (PSM) have been awarded for a special and distinguished record of service. These include 83 awards to the Police Service, four to the Fire Service, three to the Civil Defence & Home Guard Service and two to the Correctional Service.

Another 664 personnel have been awarded the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM), which recognises valuable service marked by resourcefulness and devotion to duty.

The MSM awards comprise 606 personnel from the Police Service, 28 from the Fire Service, 18 from the Civil Defence & Home Guard Service and 12 from the Correctional Service. (Agencies)