Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma on Saturday presented 93 awards, including 52 individual honours and 41 unit citations, to Army personnel in recognition of exceptional courage and distinguished service at the Northern Command Investiture Ceremony 2026.
Highlighting the role of Northern Command as the most operationally active formation of the Army, officials said it continues to deal resolutely with conventional and emerging threats across multiple domains.
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) were presented at the event held in Udhampur. The families of the recipients also attended the ceremony.
The awards acknowledged acts of extraordinary valour in counter-insurgency operations, high-altitude deployments, and sensitive border missions across Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and other operational theatres, a Defence Public Relations Officer (PRO) said.
Lt Gen Sharma emphasised the importance of maintaining the highest standards of operational excellence and upholding the proud traditions and ethos of the Indian Army.
The winners
Among those honoured, Major General Rakesh Nair received the Yudh Seva Medal for distinguished service, news agency PTI said. Sepoy (now Naik) Nadeem Iqbal Shah was recognised for eliminating a terrorist during an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir while returning fire under heavy attack. Lieutenant Colonel Nikhil Kumar was honoured for leading a successful anti-terror operation in dense forests, resulting in the neutralisation of multiple militants and the recovery of arms.
Major (now Lieutenant Colonel) Sumit Growal was awarded for leading a precise cordon-and-search operation in the Sunderbani sector using drone surveillance, while Major Ashutosh Kumar Yadav of the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) was decorated for destroying a terrorist hideout during an intense firefight.
Major Hitesh Singh Verma of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry was honoured for foiling an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control in the Poonch sector, neutralising three terrorists through a well-planned ambush. Major Anurag Savarni of the Assam Rifles was recognised for establishing an effective surveillance grid along the India–Myanmar border.
Major Archit Indurkar and Major Aditya Pratap Singh were awarded for high-altitude surveillance missions along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh, while Major Akshay Kumar was decorated for leading a daring avalanche rescue operation.
Major Alok Jaiswal was honoured for developing a robust intelligence network enabling successful anti-terror operations, while Major Amit Bhatti of the 302 Medium Regiment was recognised for executing a coordinated fire assault that destroyed terrorist camps during Operation Sindoor.
Subedar Dhananjay Jambal and Major Dhananjay Jambal were also honoured for their leadership in counter-terror and precision strike operations under adverse conditions.