The paradigm Shift

Brig Ravi Datt Mehta, IFS officer V. Venkateshwara Rao and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) constables Ajay Pathania and Roop Singh, all killed in the July 7 terror attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, have been awarded “Kirti Chakra” posthumously on the occasion of the 62nd Independence Day.

Kirti Chakra is the second highest peace time gallantry award, next only to the Ashok Chakra. The defence ministry had formally recommended their names for the gallantry award a fortnight after the incident.This is for the first time that an Indian Foreign Service officer is being honoured with such a gallantry medal. Personnel from Army and paramilitary forces frequently get Kirti Chakras, awarded for “conspicuous gallantry otherwise than in the face of the enemy”, for counter-insurgency operations and other duties.

Brig Ravi Datt Mehta, IFS officer V. Venkateshwara Rao and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) constables Ajay Pathania and Roop Singh, all killed in the July 7 terror attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, have been awarded “Kirti Chakra” posthumously on the occasion of the 62nd Independence Day.

Kirti Chakra is the second highest peace time gallantry award, next only to the Ashok Chakra. The defence ministry had formally recommended their names for the gallantry award a fortnight after the incident.

This is for the first time that an Indian Foreign Service officer is being honoured with such a gallantry medal. Personnel from Army and paramilitary forces frequently get Kirti Chakras, awarded for “conspicuous gallantry otherwise than in the face of the enemy”, for counter-insurgency operations and other dutie

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is an Indian paramilitary force. The ITBP is trained in mountaineering, disaster management, and nuclear, biological and chemical disasters.

Other ITBP members Killed on Duty

* Assistant Commandant Ashok Kumar Rana was killed in 1998 at Chirwar, in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, in an encounter with Kashmiri insurgents.

* Deputy Commandant Joy Lal, was killed in a land mine blast.

* Inspector Raj Kumar was killed in 1997 in an encounter with Kashmiri insurgents at Wangam in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, and was posthumously decorated.

* Constable Suresh Kumar was killed in December 1994 in an encounter with Kashmiri insurgents in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, and was posthumously decorated.

* Constable Kishan Ram killed in March 1994 in an encounter with insurgents in District Anantnag in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, and was posthumously decorated.

India plans to scale down its operations in Afghanistan and will advice its citizens in that country to return home, sources in the government have told CNN-IBN

This will lead to a paradigm Shift.