STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Jammu & Kashmir 52 medals including 33 got Medal for Gallantry (GM), two received President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM) and 17 got Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) in Republic day 2026.
The highest number of Gallantry Medals has gone to personnel of J&K Police, followed by members of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), who majorly engaged in the anti-Naxal operations and the Border Security Force (BSF), guarding India’s sensitive frontiers with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
President Medal for Meritorious Service awarded to Inspector General (IG) Mohd Suleman Choudhary, IG Sujit Kumar, IG Vivek Gupta; Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySPs) Himat Singh, DySP Champa Devi Sharma, DySP Khushwant Singh, DySP Gurmeet Singh; Inspector Anil Sharma, Inspector Reyaz Ahmad Langoo, Inspector Sardar Singh, Inspector Neeraj Kumar Koul, Inspector Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat; Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Sham Lal, ASI Balwinder Singh Bali; Head Constable Gopal Singh; Constable Tawheed Ahmad Thoker and Constable Shubh Kumar.
Sujit Kumar, IPS (2007 batch, AGMUT cadre), presently serving as Inspector General of Police (IGP) Security, Jammu & Kashmir, has taken charge of one of the most sensitive and significant positions in the Union Territory, drawing upon nearly two decades of rich experience in field policing, counter-terrorism, and internal security.
A native of Patna, Bihar, Sujit Kumar is son of Bhagwan Singh. He is an alumnus of Hindu College, Delhi University, where he completed his graduation in History (Honours), and later pursued his post-graduation in Rural Management from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). His academic background reflects a strong foundation in social sciences and public administration.
During his distinguished career, Sujit Kumar has held several challenging assignments across Jammu & Kashmir and on central deputation. He began his professional journey with probation at Baramulla and later served as SDPO Mahor, a remote and terrorism-affected subdivision of Reasi district. He went on to serve as Zonal SP South Srinagar, Additional SP Budgam, and SP Traffic Rural Jammu, where he was also given the additional charge of Jammu city traffic management.
He has also served as District Superintendent of Police in strategically important districts including Kargil and Reasi, contributing significantly to maintaining law and order in sensitive border and mountainous regions. On central deputation, he served as Assistant Inspector General (AIG) in the Special Protection Group (SPG) and later as Commandant of 18 and 26 Battalions of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in Naxal-affected areas of Jharkhand, gaining valuable experience in anti-insurgency operations. At the senior leadership level, Sujit Kumar has served as DIG Jammu-Kathua-Samba Range, DIG Udhampur-Reasi Range, DIG North Kashmir Range, and DIG Central Kashmir Range. He has also held additional charge as DIG South Kashmir Range and DIG CID Kashmir, handling complex security and crime-related challenges.
Presently, he is posted as IGP Security Jammu & Kashmir and is also holding the additional charge of IGP Crime Jammu & Kashmir, making him responsible for both security coordination and crime control across the Union Territory.
For his exemplary service, Sujit Kumar has received several prestigious medals and commendations. These include the President’s Police Gallantry Medal, Police Medal for Meritorious Service, Gallantry Medal by the Ministry of Home Affairs, J&K Police Medal for Meritorious Service, DG J&K Golden Commendation Medal, DG CRPF Bronze and Silver Commendation Medals, and DG ITBP Silver Commendation Medal.
He has also been awarded a special certificate and reward by the Director General of Police J&K for outstanding investigation in a terror-related case. In addition, he has received three High-Level Government (HLG) commendation certificates for his role in the successful and peaceful conduct of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Sujit Kumar’s appointment as IGP Security J&K is seen as a significant boost to the security apparatus of the Union Territory, given his vast operational experience, professional integrity, and proven leadership in handling complex law and order situations.
President’s Medal for Distinguished Service awarded to Dr. Mohd Haseeb Mughal, Deputy Inspector General, Jammu & Kashmir and Nisha Nathyal, Deputy Inspector General, Jammu & Kashmir.
Dr. Mughal, a resident of Bhaderwah in District Doda, Jammu & Kashmir, has an exemplary academic background. He is a Gold Medallist in both B.Sc. (Hons) and M.Sc. from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh, and holds a Ph.D. from Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi. His academic excellence has been matched by a distinguished professional career in the Indian Police Service.
Over the years, Dr. Mughal has served in several key operational and administrative positions. He began his career in challenging roles such as DySP Operations Cargo, Srinagar, and SDPO Kothibagh, Srinagar. He later served as District SP/SSP in five important districts, including Handwara, Kishtwar, Baramulla, Rajouri, and Srinagar, where he played a vital role in maintaining law and order.
Notably, Dr. Mughal served as SSP Srinagar during the most crucial period following the abrogation of Article 370 from 2019 to 2021, handling sensitive security and administrative responsibilities with professionalism and dedication. He has also served as SSP Vigilance Jammu, SSP CID Kashmir, and SSP Traffic National Highway Wing, contributing significantly to strengthening institutional integrity and public safety.
More recently, he served as DIG Rajouri-Poonch Range from 2022 to 2024 and is currently posted as DIG Traffic, Jammu Zone, where he continues to lead efforts to improve traffic management, road safety, and public awareness.
In addition to the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service, Dr. Mughal has been decorated with the President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service, three Police Medals for Gallantry, the J&K Police Medal for Meritorious Service, and the J&K Police Medal for Gallantry. He has also received several commendation discs from the Army Commander, Director General of Police J&K, Vice Chief of Naval Staff, and Director General CRPF.
Medal for Gallantry (GM) awarded to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Tanushree, SSP Shabir Nawab; DySP Javaid Ahmad Lone, DySP Javaid Ahmad Lone (1st Bar to GM), DySP Mohd Ashrif, DySP Mohan Lal; Inspector Younis Khan, Inspector Mohd Rafiq, Inspector Younis Khan; Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Ajit Dhar, ASI Davinder Kumar; Head Constable (HC) Shabeer Ah. Narwaroo, HC Sameet Pal Singh, HC Mohammad Shafi Magray, HC Ravi Kumar, HC Malik Bashir-u-Din, HC Sunil Raina; SgCT Rakesh Kumar, SgCT Rattan Lal, SgCT Reyaz Ahmad, SgCT Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan Umar Nazir, SgCT Abid Ali Dar, SgCT Abdul Rouf Wani; Constable Mohmad Saleem Dar, Constable Vicky Khajuria, Constable Safeer Lone, Constable Ab. Rashid Lone, Constable Reyaz Ahmad Sheikh, Constable Mohd Ramzan Rather, Constable Sohail Ahmad Dar, Constable Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, Constable Imtiyaz Ahmad Mir.
DySP Mohan Lal has rendered distinguished and dedicated service in various challenging postings across Jammu & Kashmir, including Ramban, Reasi, Poonch, Nagrota, SOG Srinagar (Cargo), and Akhnoor, demonstrating exceptional professionalism and commitment to maintaining law and order in sensitive areas. Presently posted as Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Poonch, he continues to play a crucial role in strengthening security and public safety in the border district. In recognition of his exemplary courage and outstanding service, he has been honoured with several prestigious awards, including the Shaurya Chakra, Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG), Gallantry Medal (GM), and the Jammu & Kashmir Police Medal for Gallantry (JKPMG), reflecting his bravery, leadership, and unwavering dedication to the force and the nation.
Correctional Service Medal awarded to Zaker Iqbal, SG Warder, J&K and Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, Warder, J&K
On the eve of this year’s Republic Day, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday announced and released the list of 982 recipients of Gallantry and service medals belonging to Police, Fire, Home Guard & Civil Defence and correctional service.
These awards include Gallantry, the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service and the Medal for Meritorious Service. This year, a total of 982 medals will be conferred, comprising 125 Gallantry Medals, 101 President’s Medals for Distinguished Service and 756 Medals for Meritorious Service.
According to the MHA’s official statement, in the Police category, 121 officers and personnel and four for the Fire Service category have been selected for the Gallantry Medal, in the category of the Presidents Medal for Distinguished Service 89 will be given in the Police category, five in fire service, three in civil defence & Home Guard and four in correctional service categories.
Out of 756 Medal for Meritorious Service, 664 have been awarded to Police Service, 34 to Fire Service, 33 to Civil Defence & Home Guard Service and 25 to correctional Service, it said.