R Day: Gallantry medals for cops deployed in Naxal areas, J-K

Over 1,000 police personnel have been awarded with different categories of gallantry and service medals on the eve of the 75th Republic Day, a government statement said Thursday. 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 defence and correctional service have been awarded gallantry and service medals on the occasion of the Republic Day, 2024, the statement from the Union home ministry said.

A total of 16 gallantry and service medals have been merged into four now.

These medals are now categorised as President's medal for gallantry (PMG), medal for gallantry (GM), President's medals for distinguished service (PSM) and medal for meritorious service (MSM).

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

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 Stabilisation 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 duty at 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 PSM is awarded for special distinguished record in service and MSM is awarded for valuable service characterised by resource and devotion to duty, it said.

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).