Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla added another chapter to India’s space legacy on Sunday, when he was awarded the Ashoka Chakra, the country’s highest peacetime gallantry honour. Shukla had already etched his name in history in June last year by becoming the first Indian to visit the International Space Station.
As part of the Axiom-4 mission, he spent 18 days in space, making him only the second Indian to travel beyond Earth and the first to set foot aboard the ISS. His mission marked a moment rich with symbolism. Shukla’s journey came 41 years after Rakesh Sharma flew aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in 1984, an event that made Sharma the first Indian in space.
While the mission was a triumph of international cooperation involving NASAand other global partners, for India, it was a rigorous test of endurance. During his time in orbit, Shukla conducted sophisticated microgravity experiments for the advancement of space research.
This recognition marks a significant evolution in the award’s history, traditionally reserved for ground-based bravery, by honoring the “conspicuous courage” required to navigate the final frontier.
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Shukla’s flight record
As a fighter pilot, Group Captain Shukla has an impressive record of 2,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft, including the Sukhoi-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
Officials and ISRO scientists have described the mission as a strategic precursor to India’s indigenous human spaceflight programme Gaganyaan, and the planned Bharatiya Antariksha Station, positioning it as a foundational step in the country’s long-term space architecture.
“This mission is a big achievement for our country, and it has come at the right time. India is on course for its human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, Bharatiya Antariksh Station and eventually landing on the Moon,” Shukla himself had said last year.
Gallantry awards list
On the eve of Republic Day 2026, President Droupadi Murmu approved a historic list of gallantry awards to 70 army officers, including six who would receive the honour posthumously.
The honours include one Ashoka Chakra, three Kirti Chakra, 13 Shaurya Chakra, including one posthumous, one Bar to Sena Medal (gallantry) and 44 Sena Medals (gallantry).
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Kirti Chakra is the second-highest peacetime gallantry award which is generally conferred to soldiers who displayed extreme bravery or self-sacrifice in situations not involving direct enemy action.
Shaurya Chakra, the third-highest peacetime gallantry award, recognises acts of bravery and courage in non-combat situations, including internal security operations, anti-insurgency missions, and life-saving acts under extreme danger.
Here’s the list of Ashoka, Kirti and Shaurya Chakra recipients this year.
| SL. NO. | RANK & NAME | SERVICE | AWARD | | ASHOKA CHAKRA | | | | | 1 | 29014 GROUP CAPTAIN SHUBHANSHU SHUKLA, FLYING (PILOT) | AIR FORCE | ASHOKA CHAKRA | | KIRTI CHAKRA | | | | | 1 | IC-81753K MAJOR ARSHDEEP SINGH, ARMD, 1 ASSAM RIF | ARMY | KIRTI CHAKRA | | 2 | JC-415036K NAIB SUBEDAR DOLESHWAR SUBBA, 2 PARA (SF) | ARMY | KIRTI CHAKRA | | 3 | 25284 GROUP CAPTAIN PRASANTH BALAKRISHNAN NAIR, FLYING (PILOT) | AIR FORCE | KIRTI CHAKRA | | SHAURYA CHAKRA | | | | | 1 | IC-71626F LT COL GHATAGE ADITYA SHRIKUMAR, 21 PARA (SF) | ARMY | SHAURYA CHAKRA | | 2 | IC-83399Y MAJOR ANSHUL BALTOO, JAK LI, 32 ASSAM RIF | ARMY | SHAURYA CHAKRA | | 3 | IC-84586K MAJOR SHIVKANT YADAV, 5 PARA (SF) | ARMY | SHAURYA CHAKRA | | 4 | SS-49451K MAJOR VIVEK, MECH INF, 42 RR | ARMY | SHAURYA CHAKRA | | 5 | SS-49484P MAJOR LEISHANGTHEM DEEPAK SINGH, 11 PARA (SF) | ARMY | SHAURYA CHAKRA | | 6 | IC-85492Y CAPTAIN YOGENDER SINGH THAKUR, 6 PARA (SF) | ARMY | SHAURYA CHAKRA | | 7 | JC-0110806H SUBEDAR P H MOSES, 1 ASSAM RIF | ARMY | SHAURYA CHAKRA | | 8 | 15507686K L/DFR BALDEV CHAND, ARMD, 4 RR | ARMY | SHAURYA CHAKRA (P) | | 9 | G/38589Y RIFLEMAN MANGLEM SANG VAIPHEI, 3 ASSAM RIF | ARMY | SHAURYA CHAKRA | | 10 | G/5019682A RIFLEMAN DHURBA JYOTI DUTTA, 33 ASSAM RIF | ARMY | SHAURYA CHAKRA | | 11 | 08030-Z LIEUTENANT COMMANDER DILNA K | NAVY | SHAURYA CHAKRA | | 12 | 09134-H LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ROOPA A | NAVY | SHAURYA CHAKRA | | 13 | 129078 ASSISTANT COMMANDANT VIPIN WILSON | MHA | SHAURYA CHAKRA | | BAR TO SENA MEDAL | | | | | 1 | 3010203A L/HAV SATYA PAL SINGH, SM, 6 RAJPUT | ARMY | BAR TO SM(G) |
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