New Delhi: Altogether 982 personnel, including 26 from Odisha will receive Gallantry Medals, President’s Medal for Distinguished Service and Medal for Meritorious Service on the occasion of Republic Day 2026.
The awards, announced on the eve of Republic Day, span multiple categories and services. The decorations included 125 Gallantry Medals, 101 President’s Medals for Distinguished Service (PSM), and 756 Medals for Meritorious Service (MSM), the Union home ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
Of the 26 awardees from Odisha, 17 are from the Police Service, four from the Fire Service, three from the Home Guard and Civil Defence, and two from the Correctional Service. The state has earned notable recognition with four Gallantry Medals.
Among the 125 Gallantry Awards, the highest of 45 have been awarded to personnel deployed in Jammu and Kashmir operations theatre, followed by 35 from Naxal violence-affected areas, and five posted in the northeast region. Four fire service rescuers are among the gallantry medal winners.
The President’s Medal for Distinguished Service is awarded for special distinguished record in Service while the Medal for Meritorious Service is awarded for valuable service characterised by resource and devotion to duty.
The full list of awardees from Odisha is as follows:
Police Service Medal for Gallantry (4 recipients)
Atul Krishna Das, Deputy Superintendent of Police
Purna Chandra Padhan, Assistant Sub-Inspector
Ghanashyam Sahoo, Constable
Thabir Majhi, Constable
President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (2 recipients)
Prateek Mohanty, Additional Director General
Prafulla Kumar Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police
Medal for Meritorious Service (11 recipients)
Dr. Sarthak Sarangi, Inspector General
Prasad Tamang, Commandant
Subhanarayan Muduli, Additional Superintendent of Police
Pradeep Kumar Aind, Deputy Superintendent of Police
Smt. Pranita Kumari Ray, Deputy Superintendent of Police
Ashok Kumar Mohanty, Commandant
Arun Kumar Nayak, Inspector
Mohammad Hafiz, Inspector
Smt. Lata Naik, Havildar
Nigamananda Mohapatra, Assistant Sub-Inspector
Laxmi Narayan Muduli, Inspector
Fire Service
President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (1 recipient)
Arjuna Behera, Fire Fighter
Medal for Meritorious Service (3 recipients)
Narendra Kumar Ping, Assistant Station Officer
Alekha Chandra Rout, Fire Fighter
Laxman Majhi, Leading Fire Fighter
Home Guard & Civil Defence
President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (1 recipient)
Ramesh Chandra Mohanty, Homeguard Platoon Commander
Medal for Meritorious Service (2 recipients)
Ronita Badajena, Civil Defence Volunteer
Prabhat Kumar Sahu, Home Guard, Odisha
Correctional Service
President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (1 recipient)
Sadashiva Pradhan, Warder
Medal for Meritorious Service (1 recipient)
Mandardhar Pradhan, Chief Warder
