Officers from 2022 to 2025 presidential medal lists still await formal conferment of the honour despite announcements and earlier batch being given their awards last year
Deven Bharti (1994 batch IPS) is currently awaiting his medal. Pic/X/@MBureaucrats
Frustration for many of the police officers from senior IPS officials to constables rank have peaked as recipients of the prestigious presidential medals, announced between August 2022 and January 2025, are yet to receive the official conferment of the award and appreciation letter.
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Presidential medals are regarded as the ‘pride of performance’ within the police department. But, as the formal conferment process—comprising the physical medal and appreciation certificate—remains pending and stretched into the third year for those who have been named as recipients of this prestigious award in August 2022, the frustration too has peaked for many of them.
Last year in June, the recipients of the police medals announced on Independence Day in 2021 and Republic Day in 2022 were given the medals and certificates. Then Governor of Maharashtra Ramesh Bais presented the president’s police medals for distinguished service and the president’s police medals for meritorious service to 115 police officers and personnel at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on June 6, 2024.
But those named in the list thereafter are still awaiting their medals and certificates. Admitting the delay, a senior home department official explained the reasons for the backlog. Speaking with mid-day on the condition of anonymity, the officials mentioned that post-COVID, there has been a delay in the distribution of awards.
A senior home department official claimed the government did approach the Governor for the distribution of the awards. “But, there were changes at Raj Bhavan. The function was kept on hold. This added to the backlog,” the official added. Besides the lockdown, changes at Raj Bhavan and the 2024 state and general elections also led to further delay. "The medal distribution function was not held due to the code of conduct for elections,” the official mentioned.
Asked about when the ceremony will be held, the official said, “Soon the appointment of the Governor would be taken to conduct the ceremony. All the backlog would be cleared soon,” the home department official added. The presidential medals are given to policemen to honour exemplary service and dedication. The list of recipients are announced on Independence Day (August 15) and Republic Day (January 26).
Several high-profile officers are still waiting to receive their medals. Among them is Deven Bharti (1994 batch IPS), currently serving as special commissioner of police, Mumbai. Named for the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service in 2023, Bharti has held key posts, including joint commissioner of police (Law and Order) in Mumbai and ADGP (ATS), Maharashtra.
Another recipient, Arti Singh (2006 batch), also awaits her medal. Singh, who made it to Forbes Asia’s Power Businesswomen list for her work fighting gender bias, led the SIT in the high-profile Badlapur sexual assault case and was the first female officer posted in the Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district. In 2009, after 17 policemen were killed by Naxals, she and her team helped recover arms and ensure peaceful elections in the region.
Besides Bharti and Singh, the other IPS officers in waiting are Dr Ravinder Kuamr Singal, Dattatraya Karale, Sunil Phulari, Sanjay Darade and Virendra Mishra. The president awards three types of medals for the policemen—the President's Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG), President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPM), and the Police Medal for Meritorious Service (PM).
Disillusioned by the inordinate delay, one of the recipients (non-IPS and junior rank officer) cited that the government and administration has time for the rest of the events and functions, but not for those who are on streets to maintain law and order. “The delay only undermines the value of the honour. Do we deserve such treatment?” the recipient of the award questioned.
Meanwhile, an IPS officer suggested that those named in January should receive the medals before August and those announced in August should get theirs before January. “The recipients can proudly wear medals on their police uniform, especially during national flag hoisting ceremonies,” the official added. The officer further suggested that since it's a presidential award, medals should be conferred by the ‘Rashtrapati’ (President). “If not all, at least, those selected for the president's medal for distinguished services should be given at the hands of the honourable President,” he added.
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