Gallantry awards conferred on 55 defence personnel

NEW DELHI, APRIL 6. The President, Mr K. R. Narayanan, today conferred gallantry awards and decorations on 55 defence personnel including 39 Kargil heroes.

Of the Kargil heroes, Air Marshal Vinod Patney was given the Sarvottam Yuddh Seva medal. Four others were given the Mahavir Chakra, the Uttam Yuddh Seva medal to seven and the Vir Chakra to 28 personnel.

Three were awarded Kirti Chakra while another 13 were given the Shaurya Chakra for their role in containing insurgency in Kashmir and north-eastern States.

The one-and-a-half-hour-long ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan was attended by the Vice-President, Mr. Krishan Kant, the Prime Minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Defence Minister Mr. George Fernandes, the Home Minister, Mr L. K. Advani, chiefs of armed forces and other prominent leaders. As many as 28 defence personnel were conferred awards posthmously.

All the four Mahavir Chakra awardees are from the Rajputana Rifles, who were honoured for gallantry and inspiring leadership while fighting in the Drass sector of Kargil. Of the 27 Vir Chakra recipients, 16 defence personnel were awarded posthumously. Of the 13 Shaurya chakras, six were given posthumously.

- UNI

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