News in Shorts: 27 January 2026

Peacetime Gallantry Awards

Context: On the eve of the 77th Republic Day, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (IAF) was awarded the Ashok Chakra, India’s highest peacetime military decoration.

About Shubhanshu Shukla (IAF)

• He became the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS) in June 2025, aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
• He is the second Indian to travel to space, after Rakesh Sharma, who was also an Ashok Chakra awardee.
• He has over 2,000 flying hours across multiple combat and transport aircraft.

2026 Other Awards 

• Total Honours: 70 personnel were recognized for bravery, including posthumous awards for Kirti and Shaurya Chakras.

Gallantry awards are categorized into two types Wartime and Peacetime

About Peacetime Gallantry Awards

• Peacetime gallantry awards recognise exceptional courage, bravery and self-sacrifice by armed forces and civilians outside active battlefield operations.
• Ashok Chakra: The highest peacetime military decoration for “most conspicuous bravery” or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield.
• Kirti Chakra: The second-highest award for conspicuous gallantry not in the face of the enemy.
• Shaurya Chakra: The third-highest award recognizing courage and action, often in counter-insurgency or internal security operations. 
• Authority: Peacetime gallantry awards are considered by the Central Honours & Awards Committee (CH&AC), which is chaired by the Defence Minister and includes the three Service Chiefs, the Defence Secretary, and the Home Secretary.
  • All awards are conferred by the President of India.
• Eligibility: These awards honour both military personnel and civilians, often posthumously.

About Wartime Gallantry Awards (India)

• Purpose: Wartime gallantry awards recognise exceptional bravery, leadership and self-sacrifice by Armed Forces personnel in the face of the enemy during war or armed conflict.
• Highest Honours: The three principal wartime awards are Param Vir Chakra (PVC), Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) and Vir Chakra (VrC), in descending order of prestige.
• Criteria: Awards are conferred for acts of conspicuous courage, daring or pre-eminent valour during combat operations, often under extreme risk to life.
• Features: These awards may be given posthumously, carry high symbolic value (no titles or prefixes), and are announced on Republic Day or Independence Day.

Padma Awards

Context: On the eve of Republic Day 2026, President Droupadi Murmu approved the conferment of 131 Padma Awards, recognising excellence in diverse fields across India and abroad.

Background

• Civilian Service Awards are among the most prestigious honors.
• The Government of India had instituted two civilian awards, Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan, in 1954. 
• The latter had three classes, namely Pahela Varg, Dusra Varg and Tisra Varg. 
• These were subsequently renamed as Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri in 1955.

About Padma Awards

• Instituted in 1954, the Padma Awards are among India’s second-highest civilian honours after Bharat Ratna, recognising distinguished service and exceptional contributions to public life.
• Types of Padma Awards
  • Padma Vibhushan: Awarded for exceptional and distinguished service.
  • Padma Bhushan: Awarded for distinguished service of a high order.
  • Padma Shri: Awarded for distinguished service in any field.
• Eligibility: All individuals, without distinction of race, occupation, position, or gender, are eligible; since 2014, special emphasis has been placed on recognising “unsung heroes.”
• Key Features: 
  • Announced on Republic Day , they are conferred annually by the President of India, usually in March–April.
  • Recipients receive a Sanad and medallion.
    • The award is not a title and cannot be used as a prefix or suffix (Article 18(1)).
  • Limited to a maximum of 120 awards annually, excluding posthumous and overseas categories.
  • Recommendations are made by the Padma Awards Committee constituted annually by the Prime Minister and  chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.

Padma Awards 2026

• Total Awards: 131 (including two duo cases)
  • Padma Vibhushan: 5
  • Padma Bhushan: 13
  • Padma Shri: 113
• Includes 19 women awardees, 16 posthumous honours, and 6 foreign/NRI/OCI recipients.
• Notable Awardees
  • Padma Vibhushan (Posthumous): V.S. Achuthanandan (Public Affairs), Dharmendra (Art ),  and Shibu Soren (Public Affairs)
  • Others: Justice K.T. Thomas, violinist N. Rajam, educationist P. Narayanan
• Wide representation across arts, public affairs, sports, literature, and social service.

Jeevan Raksha Padak Awards-2025

Context: President Droupadi Murmu approved the Jeevan Raksha Padak Awards-2025, honouring 30 individuals for exceptional courage in saving lives, including six posthumous awardees.

About Jeevan Raksha Padak Awards

• The Jeevan Raksha Padak recognises acts of exemplary courage and humanitarian spirit shown in saving another person’s life.
• Categories: The awards are given in three categories:
  • Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, 
  • Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak, and 
  • Jeevan Raksha Padak, based on the degree of risk involved.
• Established in: 1961, as an offshoot of the Ashoka Chakra series of Gallantry Awards.
• Decided By: Recommendations are examined by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which processes and submits proposals for approval.
• Conferred By: The awards are conferred by the President of India, usually announced on Republic Day.
• Features: The award is open to persons from all walks of life, may be given posthumously, and carries a medal and Sanad, without any title or monetary grant.
• The recipients are given a lump-sum monetary allowance at the following rates:-
  • Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak ₹ 2,00,000/-
  • Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak ₹ 1,50,000/-
  • Jeevan Raksha Padak ₹ 1,00,000/-
• Jeevan Raksha Padak Awards 2025–26
  • Total Awardees: 30 individuals were honoured, including 6 Sarvottam, 6 Uttam, and 18 Jeevan Raksha Padak recipients.
  • Special Highlights: Six awards were given posthumously, underlining supreme sacrifice in lifesaving acts.

Atlas of Climate Adaptation in Indian Agriculture (ACASA – India)

Context: The Government launched ACASA-India as NICRA completed 15 years, marking a critical phase demanding strategic direction for climate-resilient Indian agriculture.

About Atlas of Climate Adaptation in Indian Agriculture (ACASA-India)

• ACASA-India is a web-enabled digital climate atlas designed to support location-specific, data-driven adaptation planning for farmers.
• Key Features
• • Provides district and location-level climate risk and adaptation insights.
  • Integrates climate, crop, soil and management data for evidence-based decisions.
  • Supports farmers, planners and policymakers in anticipating climate stresses.
  • Developed by the ICAR-led  National Agricultural Research and Extension System (NARES) in collaboration with BISA (Borlaug Institute for South Asia) and CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Mexico).
• Significance: The platform strengthens science-based agricultural planning, improves resilience in rain-fed regions, and supports national climate action and agri-food security.

About NICRA (National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture)

• NICRA is a flagship climate resilience programme of the Government of India aimed at enhancing adaptive capacity of Indian agriculture to climate variability and change.
• Key Features
• • Implemented for 15 years across 200+ locations in 151 climate-vulnerable districts.
  • Promotes climate-resilient crops, technologies and farming practices.
  • Focuses on natural resource management, risk reduction and productivity gains.
  • Operates through institutional convergence, enabling policies and scientific research.
• NICRA complements schemes like PM Fasal Bima Yojana and allied sector missions, positioning India as a global model for science-led climate-resilient agriculture and supporting the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision.

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