One of the recipients holds back her emotions during the investiture ceremony. (PTI Photo)
There were survivors too such as the battle-scarred Pan Singh of Garhwal Rifles, who has already won a Sena Medal, the unassuming duo of Keshar Bahadur Chhetri of 2/9 Gurkhas and Mohd. Iqbal of 1 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry and paratrooper Ranjeet Singh Mann, still walking with a limp, 18 months after a deadly shootout on the mountain tops.
Defence Minister, George Fernandes, stood by the President's side while top defence officers introduced themselves and the awardees or their relatives queued up to meet a President, who did not appear to stand on formality.
After the award-giving ceremony and customary photo-op, Dr. Kalam gave a patient ear to all the awardees. Many wanted to narrate their tales of official apathy while others such as the parents of Capt. Sekhar Ghosh, who laid down his life in Jammu and Kashmir, wanted to "pay our respects because he was approachable.''
GALLANTRY AWARDS
KIRTI CHAKRA
1. Major Subhash Chand Rana (IC-48569), Sikh, 16 Rashtriya Rifles
2. Major Avinash Singh Bhadauria (IC-52777), Madras/8 Rashtriya Rifles, (Posthumous)
3. Assistant Sub Inspector Nanak Chand, Delhi Police (Posthumous)
4. Assistant Sub Inspector (Driver) Ram Pal, Delhi Police (Posthumous)
5. Head Constable Ghan Shyam, Delhi Police (Posthumous)
6. Head Constable Om Prakash, Delhi Police (Posthumous)
7. Head Constable (Driver) Bijender Singh, Delhi Police (Posthumous)
SHAURYA CHAKRA
1. Maj Bhupender Singh (IC-43685) Maratha Light Infantry, 27 Rashtriya Rifles
2. Major Dharmesh Yadav (IC-49724), Grenadiers/12 Rashtriya Rifles
3. Major Samir Ul Islam (IC-46703), Artillery/17 Parachute Field Regiment (Posthumous)
4. Captain Sekhar Ghosh (IC-57589), Army Service Corps, 2 Sikh (Posthumous)
5. Captain Sanjiv Kumar (IC-53327), Artillery, 14 Rashtriya Rifles
6. Captain Ranjeet Singh Mann (IC-50481), 2 Para/31 Rashtriya Rifles
7. Captain Tapan Kumar Pant (IC-54313) Grenadiers, 17 Assam Rifles
8. Lieutenant Rahul Sharma (IC-60395), 7 Jat
9. Lieutenant Colonel Satish Chander Sharma (IC-40223), Dogra
10. Naib Subedar Amar Prakash (JC-123142), 12 Assam Rifles
11. Havildar Keshar Bahadur Chhetri (5845173), 2/9 Gorkha Rifles
12. Havildar Parmanand Patel (2780407), 8 Maratha Light Infantry (Posthumous)
13. Havildar Charan Dass (13615184), 9 Para (SF)
14. Havildar Til Bikram Budhathoki (5043752), 1/1 Gorkha Rifles
15. Naik Haidip Rai (9418974), 3/11 Gorkha Rifles
16. Naik Vayas Chander, (3986179), 15 Dogra (Posthumous)
17. Lance Naik Hoshiar Singh (3989746), 11 Dogra (Posthumous)
18. Lance Naik Mohammed Iqbal (9094522), 1 Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry
19. Lance Naik Pan Singh (4070872), Garhwal Rifles/36 Rashtriya Rifles
20. Lance Naik Neel Chand, (3989094), Dogra
21. Lance Naik Palden Giachho (3988599), Dogra Scouts
22. Sepoy Parkash Chand (3990046), 11 Dogra
23. Sepoy Shaik Karim Basha (2794684), 11 Maratha Light Infantry
24. Sepoy Lakhbir Singh (3994970), 10 Dogra (Posthumous)
25. Rifleman Kaliyan Singh Tomar (2892565), 11 Rajputana Rifles /18 Rashtriya Rifles, (Posthumous)
26. Grenadier Devender Bhati (2692718), 14 Grenadiers (Posthumous)
27. Commandant Paikal Narayanan Nair Thankappan Nair (AR-130), 3 Assam Rifles (Posthumous)
28. Sergeant Mahender Singh (683508), Radio Fitter
29. Corporal Suresh Chintalapati (741025), Air Defence System Operator
30. Corporal Mohammed Javed (749551), Radio Fitter
31. Leading Aircraftsman Rajeev Bhardwaj (776440), Engine Fitter
32. Assistant Inspector General NMS Nair, SPG
33. Head Constable YB Thapa, CRPF
34. Constable Sukhwinder Singh, CRPF
35. Constable Shyambir Singh, CRPF
36. Constable D Santosh Kumar, CRPF
37. Shri Ganga Ram Bishnoi, Rajasthan (Posthumous)
38. Shri Giasuddin Sarkar, West Bengal (Posthumous)
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS
PARAM VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL
1. Lieutenant General Gopal Krishan Duggal (IC-14541), Maratha Light Infantry
2. Lieutenant General Ravindra Mohan Chadha (IC-13529), Engineers
3. Lieutenant General Onkar Singh Lohchab (IC-14531), Infantry
4. Lieutenant General Ravinder Kumar Jetley (MR-01652), Army Medical Corps
5. Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Kapoor (IC-15861), Armoured Corps
6. Lieutenant General Sarab Jot Singh Saighal (IC-13244), Artillery
7. Vice Admiral Arun Prakash (00590-R)
8. Vice Admiral Raman Puri (00604-Y)
9. Vice Admiral Madan Jit Singh (00614-W)
10. Air Marshal Michael McMahon (7399) Flying (Pilot)
11. Air Marshal Manjit Singh Sekhon (6756), Flying (Pilot) (Retired)
12. Air Marshal Proteep Kumar Ghosh (7106), Aeronautical Engineering (Electrical) (Retired)
BAR TO ATI VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL
1. Major General Ravinder Nath Kapur (IC-17291), 4 GR/HQ IGAR(N)
2. Major General Sudhir Chander Chopra (IC-14381), Para (Retired)
ATI VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL
1. Lt Gen Narendra Prakash Aul (IC-15018), Engineers/HQ SC
2. Lt Gen Janak Raj Bhardwaj (MR-02600), AMC
3. Maj Gen Bharat Nath Kaul (IC-15847), Para
4. Maj Gen Anup Singh Jamwal (IC-17206), Artillery/HQ 21 Mtn Div
5. Maj Gen Richard Khare (IC-17240), 5 GR/HQ CIF (R)
6. Maj Gen Narayan Singh Pathania (IC-17266), 5 GR/HQ 25 Inf Div
7. Maj Gen Iqbal Singh (IC-17609), Guards/HQ 57 Mtn Div
8. Maj Gen Vijay Waman Tilak (MR-02325), AMC (Retired)
9. Rear Admiral Sangram Singh Byce (00883-F)
10. Rear Admiral Ashok Kumar Kalra, (50197-H)
11. Rear Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma (01139-N)
12. Rear Admiral Vijay Shankar (01088-Y)
13. Air Vice Marshal Sharad Yeshwant Savur (10525) Flying (Pilot)
14. Air Vice Marshal Naiyer Iqbal Razzaqui (9642) Administration (Retired)
15. Air Vice Marshal Fali Homi Major (11442) Flying (Pilot)
16. Air Commodore Padmavathy Bandyopadhyay (11528) Medical
17. Air Commodore Swaminathan Gopalakrishna (12437) Aeronautical Engineer (Mechanical)
