1057 Personnel of Police, Fire, Home Guard & Civil Defence and Correctional Services awarded Gallantry/Service Medals on the occasion of the Independence Day- 2026
Issued by Ministry of Home Affairs
Read or download the official PDF of this gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 14th August 2026. Classified under Press Release.
Executive Summary & Key Takeaways
Executive Summary On the occasion of Independence Day 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced Gallantry and Service Medals for 1,057 personnel across the Police, Fire, Home Guard & Civil Defence, and Correctional Services. These awards recognize conspicuous acts of bravery, distinguished service records, and meritorious devotion to duty. Detailed lists of the awardees have been made available on official government portals as of August 14, 2026.
Key Points / Main Content
Gallantry Medals (GM)
- A total of 301 Medals for Gallantry were awarded for acts of bravery in saving life and property or preventing crime.
- The recipients include 272 Police personnel and 29 Fire Service personnel.
- Geographically, the majority of awards were granted to personnel in Left Wing Extremism affected areas (197), followed by Jammu & Kashmir (51), the North-East (12), and other regions (41).
Service Medals
- President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM): 92 medals were awarded for special distinguished service records. The breakdown includes 83 for Police, 4 for Fire, 3 for Civil Defence & Home Guard, and 2 for Correctional Services.
- Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM): 664 medals were awarded for valuable service and devotion to duty. This includes 606 for Police, 28 for Fire, 18 for Civil Defence & Home Guard, and 12 for Correctional Services.
Award Distribution and Resources
- The Police Service received the highest number of awards across all categories.
- Comprehensive awardee lists (List-I to List-IV) categorized by medal type and state/force are hosted on the Ministry of Home Affairs (www.mha.gov.in) and the official awards website (https://awards.gov.in).
Impact Analysis
Personnel of Police, Fire, Home Guard & Civil Defence, and Correctional Services
Impact Individual personnel are formally recognized for their gallantry and professional excellence through national-level honors.
Action Required Personnel and relevant departments should access the official MHA or awards websites to review the specific names and details included in Annexures I through IV.
Ministry of Home Affairs and PIB Delhi
Impact These entities serve as the officiating bodies responsible for the dissemination of the honors and the maintenance of the official records of the 1,057 awardees.
Action Required The departments must ensure that the digital lists (List-I through List-IV) remain accessible to the public and the awardees on the specified web domains.