NEW DELHI: Central and state police forces personnel who put up a coordinated, decisive fight to eliminate armed Naxalism by March 31, 2026, figure prominently in the list of 490 Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak (Union home minister’s efficiency medal) awardees on Ekta Diwas this year.The two key ‘special operations’ in the Naxal theatre that fetched CRPF personnel 115 home minister’s medals include the second edition of Karreguttalu Hills (KGH-2) action undertaken in February this year and the ‘Operation Medhaburu’ in Jharkhand in January 2026. KGH-2 operation had played a decisive role in crushing the last bastion of CPI(Maoist) on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. It led to the surrender of top Naxal leaders Tippiri Thirupati alias Devuji and Malla Raji Reddy alias Sangram, and served as the last nail in the coffin for CPI(Maoist)’s top decision-making bodies, the politburo and central committee. As many as 19 CRPF personnel were honoured on Ekta Diwas, which commemorates the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, for success of the KGH-2 operation.As many as 96 CRPF personnel received the home minister’s medal for a key anti-Maoist operation undertaken in Saranda forests of Jharkhand. It nearly eliminated armed Naxalism in Jharkhand, having led to the killing of central committee member Patiram Manjhi alias Anal Da along with 14 others and forcing politburo member Misir Besra to run for cover; the latter was finally arrested from Dhanbad district in July 2026.The ‘Kendriya Grihmantri Daksha Padak’ — instituted in 2024 — recognises excellence in operations and investigation, exceptional performance, indomitable and daring intelligence service by personnel of the Central and state police forces, besides the meritorious work done by serving govt forensic scientists.
While CRPF received the highest haul of home minister’s medals at 115 in the field of special operations, Chhattisgarh police personnel were honoured with 15 medals, Jharkhand police with 28, Telangana police with 21 and Maharashtra police with 7 medals.Other state/UT police honoured for operations include Delhi Police with 36 medals Punjab police with 37, Assam police (19) and Maharashtra police (7).In the investigation field, Central Board for Income-Tax and Customs (CBIC) walked away with 56 medals, CBI with 15, and National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) with five medals each. Among the state police honoured for excellence in investigation, are those of Maharashtra, NCT of Delhi, West Bengal, UP, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka etc.In the forensic field, CFSL, Chandigarh was honoured with three medals, while the police in Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu received a medal each.