An Indian Army officer who led a precision strike against militants along the India–Myanmar border last year has been awarded the Shaurya Chakra, the country’s third-highest peacetime gallantry award, officials said on Monday. The honor was approved as part of the Republic Day gallantry awards announced this week.

Lieutenant Colonel Ghatage Aditya Shrikumar of 21 Para (Special Forces) received the Shaurya Chakra for planning and leading a high-risk operation between July 11 and 13, which resulted in the complete destruction of a fortified militant camp near the border. The mission led to the elimination of nine armed cadres, including senior leaders of a notorious anti-national group, officials said, citing his exemplary leadership, operational planning, and tactical brilliance.

This marks the first official acknowledgment of the cross-border operation conducted along the India–Myanmar frontier last year. According to officials, the strike was executed with precision under challenging terrain and operational conditions, underscoring the Special Forces’ capability to conduct deep, intelligence-driven missions against insurgent groups operating near India’s borders.

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President Droupadi Murmu approved gallantry awards to 70 armed forces personnel on Sunday, including one Ashoka Chakra, three Kirti Chakras, 13 Shaurya Chakras, one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 44 Sena Medals (Gallantry), six Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry), and two Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).

On Monday, Murmu conferred the Ashoka Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award, on Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian astronaut and fighter pilot who served as the pilot for the historic Axiom Mission to the International Space Station (ISS) last year. A Kirti Chakra was also awarded to Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, the backup pilot for the space mission. Only the Ashoka Chakra and the wartime Param Vir Chakra are presented at the Republic Day parade.

Among other Kirti Chakra awardees are Major Arshdeep Singh and Naib Subedar Doleshwar Subba. Singh was honored for leading a special patrol along the Indo–Myanmar border that came under sudden and intense fire from a dominating height, where he assaulted the position through dense undergrowth and neutralized multiple armed cadres without any casualties to his own troops. Subba received the award for acts of bravery during counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir, officials added.

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