On Independence Day 2026, the Government of India announced gallantry and service medals for 1057 personnel from Police, Fire, Home Guard, Civil Defence, and Correctional Services. These awards recognise acts of bravery and distinguished service in maintaining internal security and public order. The medals are announced twice yearly — on Republic Day and Independence Day. The President of India is the constitutional authority who approves these awards on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

India's civil services gallantry and meritorious medal system operates parallel to the defence forces' medal framework but falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs rather than the Ministry of Defence. Key medals in this category include the President's Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG), Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG), President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPM), and Police Medal for Meritorious Service (PM). These apply across Police, Fire, Home Guard, Civil Defence, and Correctional Services personnel.

Medals are announced on two national occasions — Republic Day (January 26) and Independence Day (August 15) — making the annual total across both announcements a commonly tested aggregate figure. The President approves these awards; the MHA processes recommendations.

Examiners frequently test the institutional hierarchy: who recommends, who approves, and which ministry administers. A recurring distractor is confusion between defence gallantry medals (Param Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra — under MoD) and police/civil defence medals (under MHA). The founding distinction is crucial: military honours are battlefield awards; civil police honours cover law enforcement, disaster response, and correctional roles. UPSC has tested CDS duties and defence rank equivalents extensively, and the civil medal framework is the natural adjacent territory the examiner can pivot to.