New Delhi: A trailblazing astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, has been conferred with the prestigious Ashok Chakra due to the valour he showed during the historic Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS).
When Shubhanshu Shukla created history
On June 26, 2025, Shubhanshu Shukla reached the ISS after launching aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. He became the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS and was only the second Indian to travel to space, after Rakesh Sharma. His 18-day expedition involved over 60 scientific experiments, including seven led by ISRO.
Shukla was part of a multinational crew with astronauts from Poland and Hungary as he navigated space. He docked with the ISS after 26 hours, and his research boosted India’s Gaganyaan programme scheduled for 2027. Shukla is also a fighter pilot who has an impressive record of 2,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier and An-32.
Droupadi Murmu approves Gallantry awards
Ahead of the 77th Republic Day, President Droupadi Murmu approved Gallantry awards to 70 Armed Forces personnel, including six posthumous. These include one Ashok Chakra; three Kirti Chakras; 13 Shaurya Chakras, including one posthumous; one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry); 44 Sena Medals (Gallantry), including five posthumous; six Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and two Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
Centre announces Padma Awards
Also, the Centre on Sunday announced the Padma Awards for 2026, with 131 eminent personalities from across the country set to be honoured for their exceptional contributions across different fields.
The list includes five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards. Veteran actor Dharmendra has been posthumously conferred the Padma Vibhushan, one of the country’s second-highest civilian awards, for his contribution to the arts. He passed away in Mumbai in November last year.