President confers gallantry, distinguished service awards

President Pratibha Patil Friday conferred two Kirti Chakras and 25 Shaurya Chakras on armed forces personnel for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty at a solemn ceremony in the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The Kirti Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra are the second and third highest awards respectively given in peacetime.

The president also conferred 15 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, two Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, one bar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and 26 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals to senior officers of the armed forces for distinguished service of an exceptional order. A bar means that the medal has been awarded for the second time.

One of the Kirti Chakras, for Maj Suresh Suri, was given posthumously. Maj Amit Oscar Fernandes was the other Kirti Chakra recipient.

Ten Shaurya Chakras were conferred posthumously on Lance Naik Sujith Babu V, Sgt Mustafa Ali, Operator Excavating Machinery Pritam Chand, Driver Mechanical Transport Grade-II Piar Chand, Rifleman Mohd Abdul Amieen Bhat, Lt. Satbir Singh, Naik Manoj Singh, Hav Vipan Thakur, Hav Thangjalet and Operator Chandra Sekhar.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju, Marshal of the Air Force Arjun Singh, the three service chiefs and several senior civil and military officials were present on the occasion.