President Droupadi Murmu conferred six Kirti Chakras and 33 Shaurya Chakras on personnel from the Armed Forces, the Central Armed Police Forces, and the State and Union Territory Police, at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday.

Four of the Kirti Chakras and seven of the Shaurya Chakras were given away posthumously.

“The gallantry awards were given to the personnel for displaying raw courage, unparallelled bravery and total disregard to personal safety in the line of duty,” a Defence Ministry statement said.

Counter-terror operations

They were honoured for the bravery displayed during various operations related to counter-terror and counter-insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir and North-East, the statement said. “Dreaded terrorists were neutralised and apprehended during these operations, and arms and ammunition were recovered.”

The Navy awardees led anti-piracy operations, resulting in the surrender of pirates and the rescue of hostages, while also demonstrating bravery during fire-fighting operations on a burning oil tanker, the Ministry said on the awards presented for the Navy’s operations in Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea as the Yemen-based Houthis threatened global shipping and as piracy attempts resurfaced.

The awardees from the Indian Air Force showed utmost courage in life-threatening circumstances during the rescue of aircraft, by manoeuvring away from civilian areas to avoid any loss of life/property. Officers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) displayed bravery during various operations in areas affected by Left-Wing Extremism, the statement said. “Maoist insurgents were apprehended and weapons recovered.”