Over 1,000 defence & fire personnel honoured for gallantry, service for Independence Day 2025

A total of 1,090 personnel from police, fire, Home Guard and Civil Defence (HG&CD), and Correctional Services have been honoured with Gallantry and Service Medals on the occasion of Independence Day 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on Thursday.

Among the awards, 233 personnel received the Medal for Gallantry (GM) for acts of exceptional bravery. Of these, 54 are from Left Wing Extremism-affected areas, 152 from Jammu & Kashmir, three from the North-East, and 24 from other regions. The majority of recipients—226—are police personnel, alongside six from the fire service and one from the Home Guard and Civil Defence.

The President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM) was presented to 99 personnel for exemplary dedication to duty. Police officers accounted for 89 of the awards, while five were from the fire service, three from Civil Defence & Home Guard, and two from Correctional Services.


Additionally, 758 personnel were honoured with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) in recognition of their consistent commitment to public safety and operational efficiency. This included 635 from the police, 51 from the fire service, 41 from Civil Defence & Home Guard, and 31 from Correctional Services.