R-Day: 982 police personnel awarded service medals; maximum gallantry decorations for J-K Police
New Delhi (PTI): On the occasion of the Republic Day 2026, gallantry and various service medals have been awarded to 982 police, fire, home guard, civil defence and correctional services personnel.
The decorations included 125 gallantry medals (GM), the Union home ministry said in a statement.
The maximum number of bravery medals at 45 have been given to personnel deployed in Jammu and Kashmir operations theatre, followed by 35 from Naxal violence-affected areas, and five who are posted in the north east region.
Four fire service rescuers are among the gallantry medal winners, it said.
A breakup provided in the official statement stated that Jammu and Kashmir Police has been decorated with the highest number of gallantry medals at 33 followed by Maharashtra Police at 31, 18 to the Uttar Pradesh Police and 14 for the Delhi Police.
Among the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the CRPF is the only force to get bravery citations at 12 medals.
The list also includes 101 President's Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM) and 756 Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) to the officers and personnel.
As per definition, a bravery medal is awarded to a person on grounds of rare conspicuous act of gallantry, and conspicuous act of gallantry in saving life and property, or in preventing crime or arresting criminals, the risk incurred being estimated with due regard to the obligations and duties of the officer concerned.
PSM is awarded for special distinguished record in service and Meritorious Service is awarded for valuable service characterised by resource and devotion to duty, as per the statement.
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ISRO successfully conducts second integrated air drop test for Gaganyaan mission
New Delhi (PTI): Space agency ISRO has successfully conducted the second integrated air drop test (IADT-02) for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission at the space station in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota.
The system is essential to ensure a safe recovery of the crew module -- the capsule in which astronauts sit during a human flight -- during re-entry and landing.
Union minister Jitendra Singh congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for successfully conducting the test.
"Congratulations #ISRO for the successful accomplishment of Second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for #Gaganyaan, India's first Human Space flight scheduled next year. The second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) was successfully conducted at Satish Dhawan Space Station Sriharikota," Singh said in a post on X.
The IADT-02 follows the successful completion of the first IADT, which took place on August 24, 2025, at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Air drop tests recreate the last leg of a spacecraft's return to Earth. An aircraft or helicopter drops the spacecraft from a height to test various systems under different scenarios.
These are the deployment of the parachute system in case the mission is aborted mid-flight, system performance when one parachute fails to open and the spacecraft's orientation and safety during splashdown etc.
In the IADT-02 test, a simulated crew module, weighing about 5.7 tonnes, was lifted by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter to an altitude of about three kilometres and released over a designated drop zone in the sea, near the Sriharikota coast.
In a statement, the ISRO said, "Ten parachutes of four types were deployed in a precise sequence during the descent of the crew module, gradually reducing the velocity for safe touchdown. Subsequently, the simulated crew module was successfully recovered in coordination with the Indian Navy."
