Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), presented the Gallantry and Distinguished Service awards on behalf of the President of India at an impressive Naval Investiture Ceremony which was held at the Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam on 31 May 2023. The ceremony was organized to honour and recognize the bravery, leadership, professional achievements and distinguished service of Naval personnel.
33 awards were conferred during the ceremony which included Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) to Vineet Kumar LA(AH) and Cdr Nishant Singh (Posthumous), 13 Nao Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 16 Vishisht Seva Medal, and two Jeevan Raksha Padak.
In addition to these awards, the CNS also presented the Lt VK Jain Memorial Gold Medal for pioneering research in the field of Weapon improvement and Electrical Engineering, as well as the Capt Ravi Dhir Memorial Gold Medal for promoting Flight Safety.
The CNS Trophy for Best Green Practice 2023 was awarded to Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam and INS Tunir in the Industrial and non-industrial categories respectively. The CNS also awarded the Unit Citations to operational units and shore establishments for their outstanding performances over the past year. Indian Naval Ships Betwa, Satpura, Sutlej and Nireekshak, Kalvari class submarine INS Karanj along with INAS 321 FSS and INAS 318 received the Unit Citation. In the shore establishment category, the awardees were INS India, Tanaji and Valsura, and Material Organisation (Visakhapatnam).
The ceremony was attended by the spouses and families of the awardees, as well as senior dignitaries of the Indian Navy. The CNS lauded the award winners for their acts of bravery and distinguished service and thanked their family members for their support to the Naval personnel.
Emphasising the importance of the role of the Naval personnel, the CNS stated that “As the Indian Navy continues to expand its operational footprint, to protect, promote, pursue and preserve our national maritime interests, it is the unwavering professionalism and never-say-die spirit of our personnel, which ensures success, always and every time“