President confers 13 Shaurya Chakra awards, including six posthumously

New Delhi, May 10: President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday conferred 13 Shaurya Chakra awards including six posthumously to armed forces personnel while Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande received the Param Vishisht Seva medal. The Shaurya Chakra is India's third-highest peacetime gallantry award after the Ashok Chakra and Kirti Chakra.

The awards were conferred at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The gallantry awards were given to the personnel for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty, said an official statement.

The six personnel, who were conferred the Shaurya Chakra posthumously, were Captain Ashutosh Kumar of the 18th Battalion of the Madras Regiment, Havildar Anil Kumar Tomar of the Rajput Regiment, Havildar Pinku Kumar of the Jat Regiment, Havildar Kashiray Bammanalli from the Corps of Engineers, Naib Subedar Sreejith from the 17th Battalion of Madras Regiment and Sepoy Maruprolu Jaswanth Kumar Reddy, also from the 17th Battalion of the Madras Regiment.

The other Shaurya Chakra awardees are Major Ravi Kumar Chaudhary from the Grenadiers, Major Arun Kumar Pandey from the Rajput Regiment, Sepoy Neeraj Ahlawat from the Jat Regiment, Rifleman Mukesh Kumar from the Rajputana Rifles, Captain Vikash Khatri from the Mechanised Infantry, Rifleman Rakesh Sharma from Assam Rifles and Group Captain Perminder Antil from the IAF. The President also conferred 14 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, four Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and 24 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals for distinguished service of exceptional order, the statement said.