Top Military and Naval Officers Honored with Param Vishisht Seva Medal

Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi received the Param Vishisht Seva Medal from President Droupadi Murmu for their distinguished service to the nation. A total of 94 accolades were awarded to members of the armed forces and Indian Coast Guard in a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi were conferred the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) by President Droupadi Murmu on Friday, recognizing their distinguished service to the nation.

During the second phase of a defence investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Murmu awarded 94 distinguished service decorations to personnel of the armed forces and the Indian Coast Guard, according to a Defence Ministry statement.

The first segment of the ceremony, held on July 5, saw the President bestowing 10 Kirti Chakras, seven posthumously, for indomitable courage and extraordinary valour in the line of duty.

The Kirti Chakra is the second-highest peacetime gallantry award in India. In this second phase, President Murmu honored 31 PVSMs, four UYSMs (Uttam Yudh Seva Medal), two Bar to AVSMs (Bar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medal), and 57 AVSMs (Ati Vishisht Seva Medal).

Other officers awarded the PVSM included Lt Gen M V Suchindra Kumar, Lt Gen N S Raja Subramani, Lt Gen Johnson P Mathew, and Air Marshal Ravi Gopal Krishna Kapoor, among others.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan shared photographs of the ceremony in a series of posts on X, listing the decorated individuals.

The Defence Ministry also released a statement with the names of honorees who received the awards.

Lt Gen Viresh Pratap Singh Kaushik of the Kumaon Regiment, Lt Gen Rashim Bali of the Sikh Light Infantry, Lt Gen Manish Mohan Erry of Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry, and Lt Gen Harjeet Singh Sahi of the Rajput Regiment received the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UVSM).

(With inputs from agencies.)