20 ITBP soldiers awarded medals for courage, devotion during face-off with Chinese Army in Ladakh

Twenty personnel from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have been conferred with gallantry medals for displaying “the highest level of devotion” and “courage” during the violent face-off between the Indian and Chinese armies in eastern Ladakh last year.

These medals for bravery are among a total of 1,380 service medals announced by the Union government for various central and state police forces on the eve of Independence Day. In June last year, 20 soldiers of the Indian Army, including Colonel B Santosh Babu, were martyred in the violent clashes with Chinese forces at Galwan Valley.

Babu was decorated with the Mahavir Chakra (posthumously), the second highest military award, on Republic Day this year.


The ITBP forces are deployed alongside the Army on the 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. Out of the 20 ITBP personnel, eight have been awarded the Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG) for their gallant act, meticulous planning and tactical insight and for defending the motherland in Galwan valley on June 15, the ITBP said in a statement.

Six personnel have been awarded the PMG for gallant action during a face-off on May 18 in the Finger IV area, while six others have been awarded the same medal for their gallant action near Hot Springs in Ladakh on the same day, according to the statement.