Republic Day: CRPF awarded highest number of gallantry medals

New Delhi: The CRPF has been awarded the highest number of gallantry medals, 19, among all central and state police forces on the eve of the 76th Republic Day on Saturday. A total of 95 bravery medals have been awarded to the personnel of state and central police forces, fire service, home guard and civil defence and correctional services, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

A senior officer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) said that out of the 19 medals for gallantry (GM), 11 are for operations undertaken in Jammu and Kashmir, seven for acts of bravery in anti-Maoist operations and one for courage displayed during an operation in the northeast.

The awardees include second-in-command rank officer Narender Yadav, and Assistant Commandants Amit Kumar and Vinay Kumar who have been conferred with the 1st bar to GM (gallantry medal awarded for the second time).


Late Constable Sunil Kumar Pandey has been named for the medal posthumously.

The 186th battalion jawan laid down his life in September 2023 in Assam while stopping bike-borne smugglers who trafficked contraband from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh. The assailants attacked him with a knife.

After the CRPF, the country's largest paramilitary force, the highest number of medals went to Uttar Pradesh (17), Jammu and Kashmir (15), Chhattisgarh (11) and Border Security Force (5).

Three Border Security Force (BSF) personnel deployed under the United Nations (UN) flag in Congo have also been honoured with the gallantry medal.

Inspector Jitu Deori, Constable Ratan Kumar Yogi and Constable Awdhesh Kumar Yadav displayed "exemplary courage" in rescuing 38 unarmed UN staff members from a violent mob that attacked their camp in Butembo on July 26, 2022.

The BSF is primarily tasked with guarding Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh apart from rendering a variety of other security duties.

The CRPF, with about 3.25 lakh personnel, is the mainstay for internal security duties in the country.