Republic Day 2022-Awards & Honours

The Republic Day celebration is also the occasion to recognise and honour the brave personnel in the armed forces and police for their exceptional courage in the field, and also to civilians who have performed acts of valour in different situations.

 Ashok Chakra: Assistant SubInspector of Jammu and Kashmir Babu Ram who lost his life in an encounter with terrorists at Pantha Chowk in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar in 2020 has been awarded the Ashok Chakra posthumously by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind. His family received the award during the Republic Day Parade. Ashok Chakra is the country's highest peace-time gallantry award. Babu Ram killed three terrorists during an operation in Srinagar on August 29, 2020.

Other Gallantry Awards

The President has approved 384 Gallantry awards and Defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel and others. These include 12 Shaurya Chakras including, 29 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, 4 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, 53 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, 13 Yudh Seva Medals, 3 Bar to Vishisht Seva Medals, 122 Vishisht Seva Medals, 3 Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry). Besides, 81 Sena Medals (Gallantry), 2 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry), 40 Sena Medals for Devotion to Duty, Eight Nao Sena Medals and 14 Vayu Sena Medals have been approved. Out of the total 12 Shaurya Chakra Awardees, 9 of them have been awarded posthumously. Olympian Neeraj Chopra who is a Subedar in the Indian Army has been honoured with Param Vishisht Seva Medal. Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal for India in the javelin throw event at Tokyo Olympics.

Civilian Awards

President Shri Ram Nath Kovind has approved conferment of 128 Padma Awards including 2 duo case (in a duo case, the Award is counted as one). The list comprises 4 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri Awards. 34 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 13 posthumous awardees. The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. 'Padma Vibhushan' is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; 'Padma Bhushan' for distinguished service of high order and 'Padma Shri' for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year. These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March/ April every year.

Police Medals

On the occasion of Republic Day 939 service medals, including 189 for gallantry, were announced for personnel of various central and state police forces. The Union Home Ministry published a list containing names of personnel who have been decorated with the Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG), President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Police Medal for Meritorious Service. No one has been given the top category President's Police Medal For Gallantry (PPMG) this time.

Among the 189 gallantry awards, 134 personnel are being recognized for their gallant action in Jammu and Kashmir region, 47 for their bravery in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas and one personnel for similar conduct in the north-east region. The highest number of bravery medals, 115, have been awarded to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, followed by 30 to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 10 to the Chhattisgarh Police, 9 to the Odisha Police, 7 to the Maharashtra Police, 3 each to the border guarding forces of IndoTibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and 2 to the Border Security Force (BSF), among others. Eighty-eight personnel have been awarded the distinguished service medal, while 662 have been given the meritorious service medal.

Forty-two fire service medals, 37 correctional service medals for police personnel and 51 'Jeevan Rakshak Padak' were also announced. The 'Jeevan Rakshak' series of medals are given for meritorious act of human nature in saving the life of a person.

(Source: PIB)