Udhampur

Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma on Saturday conferred 93 gallantry and service awards at the Northern Command Investiture Ceremony 2026, recognising exceptional courage and distinguished service by Army personnel.

The awards included 52 individual honours and 41 unit citations for operations across Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and other sensitive theatres.

According to a Defence PRO, the honours comprised four Yudh Seva Medals, one Bar to Sena Medal, 37 Sena Medals, one Bar to Vishisht Seva Medal, eight Vishisht Seva Medals and one Jeevan Raksha Padak (posthumous).

The ceremony was attended by senior military officers, awardees and their families.

Addressing the gathering, Lt Gen Sharma praised the recipients for their professionalism and unwavering commitment under challenging conditions, urging them to uphold the highest standards of operational excellence and the Indian Army’s ethos.

Among the awardees, Major General Rakesh Nair received the Yudh Seva Medal for distinguished service, while several personnel were honoured with Sena Medals (Gallantry) for anti-terror operations and high-risk missions.

Notable acts included Sepoy (now Naik) Nadeem Iqbal Shah eliminating a terrorist during an encounter, and Lieutenant Colonel Nikhil Kumar leading a successful anti-terror operation in dense forests. Major (now Lt Col) Sumit Growal was recognised for a precision cordon-and-search mission using drone surveillance.

Major Ashutosh Kumar Yadav of the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) was decorated for destroying a terrorist hideout, while Major Hitesh Singh Verma of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry was honoured for foiling an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control.

Other awardees included Major Anurag Savarni of Assam Rifles for surveillance operations along the India-Myanmar border, and Majors Archit Indurkar and Aditya Pratap Singh for high-altitude missions in Eastern Ladakh.

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Officials highlighted that Northern Command, one of the Army’s most operationally active formations, continues to handle complex threats across terrains ranging from the Siachen Glacier to dense forests and border zones, with personnel demonstrating resilience in extreme conditions.