President Kovind honours military officers with Gallantry awards

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind has conferred Gallantry Awards and Distinguished Service Decorations upon Armed Forces Personnel for displaying indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty at the Defence Investiture Ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Sapper Prakash Jadhav from Corps of Engineers has been  accorded the second-highest peacetime gallantry award Kirti Chakra, posthumously, for neutralising terrorists in an operation in Jammu and Kashmir. His wife and mother received the award from the President.

Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal was accorded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously for his role in an operation where five terrorists were eliminated and 200



kg explosive material was recovered. His wife Lt Nitika Kaul and mother Saroj Dhoundiyal received the award. Naib Subedar Sombir was accorded Shaurya Chakra posthumously for killing an A category terrorist during an operation in Jammu and Kashmir. His wife and mother received the award.

Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman who shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft aerial combat was honoured with Vir Chakra.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt  were present on the occasion along with other dignitaries.