Balakot hero Abhinandan Varthaman gets Vir Chakra, Shaurya Chakra for Major Dhoundiyal

Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhinandan Varthaman being accorded the Vir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind, for shooting down a Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft during aerial combat on February 27, 2019.

Varthaman was recently promoted to the rank of Group Captain. Abhinandan shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft during aerial combat on February 27 a day after the Balakot airstrike.

Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal accorded the Shaurya Chakra (posthumously) for his role in an operation where five terrorists were eliminated and 200 kg explosive material was recovered.

Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal's wife Lt Nitika Kaul and mother receive the award from the President.

Sapper Prakash Jadhav from Corps of Engineers accorded the second-highest peacetime gallantry award Kirti Chakra (posthumously) for neutralising terrorists in an operation in J&K. 

Sapper Prakash Jadhav's wife and mother receive the award from President Ram Nath Kovind.

Naib Subedar Sombir accorded Shaurya Chakra posthumously for killing an A++ category terrorist during an operation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Naib Subedar Sombir's wife and mother receive the award from President Ram Nath Kovind.