301 Gallantry Medals Awarded to Police and Fire Personnel for Independence Day 2026

Shantanu Thakur

14 Aug 2026

3 Min

As part of the Independence Day 2026 honours, 301 Gallantry Medals have been conferred on personnel of the Police Force and Fire Services in recognition of outstanding gallantry and devotion to duty. Many of these awards have gone to personnel serving in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas. Overall, 1,057 personnel from the Police Force, Fire Service, Home Guard and Civil Defence, and Correctional Services have received Gallantry and Service Medals this year.

Break-up of the 301 Gallantry Medals

Of the 301 Gallantry Medals, 272 have been awarded to police personnel and 29 to fire service personnel. According to the government, these medals recognise outstanding acts of gallantry involving saving of life and property, prevention of crime, or apprehension of criminals, with the risk involved assessed in relation to the recipients' official duties and responsibilities.

Region-wise Distribution of the Gallantry Medals

The 301 Gallantry Medals have been awarded to personnel across different regions as follows:

197 personnel from Left Wing Extremism affected regions
51 personnel from the Jammu & Kashmir region
12 personnel from the North-East region
41 personnel from other regions

The large share of medals going to personnel from LWE-affected regions reflects the difficult conditions in which security forces operate against extremist violence in these areas.

1,057 Personnel Honoured in All

Besides the Gallantry Medals, a range of other Independence Day awards have been given to a total of 1,057 personnel from the Police Force, Fire Service, Home Guard and Civil Defence, and Correctional Services. These awards are divided into different categories based on bravery and service, covering both acts of courage and dedication to public duty.

92 Personnel Receive the President's Medal for Distinguished Service

The Centre has also announced the President's Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM) for 92 police and allied service personnel. The distribution is as follows:

83 Police Service personnel
4 Fire Service personnel
3 Civil Defence and Home Guard personnel
2 Correctional Service personnel

The President's Medal for Distinguished Service is awarded for an officer's special and distinguished record of service.

664 Medals for Meritorious Service Conferred

In addition, 664 Medals for Meritorious Service (MSM) have been conferred. This medal honours meritorious service marked by resourcefulness and dedication to duty. The recipients include:

606 individuals from the Police Force
28 individuals from the Fire Services
18 individuals from Civil Defence and Home Guard
12 individuals from the Correctional Services

Together with the Gallantry and President's Distinguished Service Medals, these honours highlight the contributions of personnel serving in India's internal security, emergency, and correctional services.

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