The Indian government has bestowed gallantry awards upon numerous military officials for their involvement in Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror and military sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir three months prior. These awards, which will be officially presented during the Independence Day celebrations on August 15, honor their courage and valor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent retaliatory actions. Among the 127 gallantry medals and 40 distinguished service awards approved by the President on the eve of the 79th Independence Day are four Kirti Chakras, 15 Vir Chakras, 16 Shaurya Chakras, two bars to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 58 Sena Medals (Gallantry), six Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry), 26 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry), seven Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medals, nine Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, and 24 Yudh Seva Medals, as stated by the Defense Ministry. The Vir Chakra, which is India’s third-highest wartime honor, has been awarded to soldiers who exhibited valor during Operation Sindoor, India’s direct military response to the terror strike in Pahalgam on April 22. The recipients of the Vir Chakra include Colonel Koshank Lamba, Lieutenant Colonel Sushil Bisht, Naib Subedar Satish Kumar, Rifleman Sunil Kumar, Group Captain Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, Group Captain Manish Arora, Group Captain Animesh Patni, Group Captain Kunal Kalra, Wing Commander Joy Chandra, Squadron Leader Sarthak Kumar, Squadron Leader Siddhant Singh, Squadron Leader Rizwan Malik, Flight Lieutenant Aarshveer Singh, BSF Sub Inspector Mohd Imteyaz (Posthumous), and Constable Deeapk Chingakham (Posthumous). All the Vir Chakra awardees from the Indian Air Force (IAF) are pilots. The Kirti Chakras and Shaurya Chakras—India’s second and third-highest peacetime gallantry awards—are not associated with Operation Sindoor. The Kirti Chakra has been awarded to Captain Lalrinawwa Sailo, Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari, Lance Naik Meenatchi Sundaram A, and Sepoy Janjal Pravin Prabhakar.
The Defence Ministry has not disclosed the citations for the military awardees. The Sena Medals (Gallantry) have been conferred for both Operation Sindoor and counter-terrorism efforts, as reported by sources familiar with the situation who requested anonymity. Notably, this marks the first occasion on which two Agniveers have received the Sena Medal (Gallantry). Additionally, the Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry), Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry), Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medals, Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, and Yudh Seva Medals have been awarded to soldiers for their contributions during Operation Sindoor, according to the sources. The recipients of the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal include Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, Director General of Military Operations Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, South Western Air Command Chief Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, Western Air Command Chief Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra, Director General of Air Operations Air Marshal AK Bharti, and the former Western Naval Command Chief Vice Admiral Sanjay S Singh (retd). Furthermore, the President has sanctioned 290 Mention-in-Despatches. Among the heroes of Operation Sindoor who have been honored with medals are the sons of two former IAF chiefs. The 26 IAF personnel who received the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) include Group Captain Omar Browne and Squadron Leader Mihir Vivek Chaudhari. Both individuals are fighter pilots, following in the footsteps of their fathers. Omar is the son of Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne (retd), while Mihir’s father, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, served as the IAF chief until the previous year.
