Defence

President Murmu Confers 105 Distinguished Service Decorations at Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 (Phase-II)

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Monday, 29 June 2026 2 min readSource: Press Information BureauArticle 6 of 9

On 29 June 2026, President Droupadi Murmu, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, conferred 105 Distinguished Service Decorations on personnel of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and the Indian Coast Guard during the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 (Phase-II) at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. The honours included the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Sarvottam/Yudh Seva decorations, recognising distinguished service, leadership and contributions to national security. Among the awardees, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit (Vice Chief of the Air Staff-designate) received the PVSM, and Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth (Army Chief-designate) received the UYSM. The ceremony also honoured personnel associated with recent operations, including Operation Sindoor.

Key Facts & Details

10 points

1
President Droupadi Murmu conferred 105 Distinguished Service Decorations on 29 June 2026.
2
The event was the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 (Phase-II) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
3
Recipients were from the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Indian Coast Guard.
4
Medals included the PVSM, UYSM, AVSM and Yudh Seva series decorations.
5
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit received the PVSM; Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth received the UYSM.
6
Awardees included personnel linked to Operation Sindoor.
7
The President is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Deep Dive

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The Defence Investiture Ceremony is held in phases at Rashtrapati Bhavan to present the country's top military service and gallantry decorations.
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The Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) is awarded for distinguished service of the most exceptional order (peacetime), while the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM) recognises distinguished service during war/operations.
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Such honours are commonly tested via the awardee's name, the medal and the event.

Exam Focus

How many Distinguished Service Decorations did the President confer at the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 (Phase-II), and where was it held?

Exam Relevance & Angle

Military honours and the officials who receive them are recurring awards/defence GA facts. Examiners test the conferring authority (President Murmu), the count (105), the medals (PVSM/UYSM/AVSM) and the venue (Rashtrapati Bhavan) — all clean hooks.

Target Exams

SBI POIBPS POIBPS RRB OfficerRBI Grade BSSC CGLSSC CHSLSSC CPOSSC GDRRB NTPCUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

The Defence Investiture Ceremony is held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, usually in two phases, where the President of India — the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces — presents distinguished-service and gallantry awards to personnel of the three services and the Indian Coast Guard. Key peacetime distinguished-service medals, in descending order, are the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM); the wartime/operations equivalents are the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal (SYSM), Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM) and Yudh Seva Medal (YSM). These are distinct from the gallantry awards (Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra).