A total of 1,057 personnel from police, fire, Home Guard and Civil Defence, and correctional services have been awarded Gallantry and Service Medals on the occasion of Independence Day 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on Friday.
The awards recognise personnel for acts of exceptional courage as well as distinguished and meritorious service.
301 Gallantry Medals announced
As many as 301 Medal for Gallantry (GM) awards have been announced this year. Of these, 272 have gone to police personnel and 29 to fire service personnel.
According to the MHA, the gallantry awards recognise conspicuous acts of courage in saving lives and property, preventing crimes or arresting criminals, with due consideration given to the risks involved in the discharge of official duties.
Among the 301 gallantry awardees, 197 personnel are from Left Wing Extremism-affected areas, 51 from Jammu & Kashmir, 12 from the North-East and 41 from other regions.
756 service medals
The government has also announced 92 President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM) awards and 664 Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) awards.
Of the 92 PSM recipients, 83 are from the Police Service, four from the Fire Service, three from Civil Defence and Home Guard Service, and two from the Correctional Service.
For the 664 MSM awards, 606 have been awarded to Police Service personnel, 28 to Fire Service personnel, 18 to Civil Defence and Home Guard Service personnel, and 12 to Correctional Service personnel.
Service-wise medal distribution
| Medal | Police | Fire | Civil Defence & Home Guard | Correctional | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President’s Medal for Distinguished Service | 83 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 92 |
| Medal for Meritorious Service | 606 | 28 | 18 | 12 | 664 |
The MHA said the detailed lists of awardees have been released separately, including lists for Gallantry Medals, President’s Medal for Distinguished Service, Medal for Meritorious Service and state-wise/force-wise medal recipients.
The complete awardee details are available on the Ministry of Home Affairs website and the government’s awards portal.
