Personalities, Awards and Events

MacGregor memorial medals – India

April 30 , 2025 18 hrs 0 min 32 0

It is a prestigious award recognising exceptional contributions in military reconnaissance and adventure and remains a symbol of honour in the Indian Armed Forces.
Five military personnel received this honour for their achievements in 2023 and 2024 by the Defence Ministry.
The award encourages personnel to engage in activities that contribute to national security.
While military reconnaissance and exploration remain the foremost criteria, the medal is open to all ranks (serving and retired) of the Armed Forces, Territorial Army, Reserve Forces, Rashtriya Rifles and Assam Rifles.
Instituted on July 03, 1888, the MacGregor Memorial Medal commemorates Major General Sir Charles Metcalfe MacGregor, founder of USI (established in 1870).
Originally intended to recognise the acts of military reconnaissance and exploratory journeys, the medal’s scope was expanded in 1986, post-Independence, to include military expeditions and adventure activities
To date, 127 medals have been awarded, including 103 prior to Independence.
Among the notable recipients are Captain F.E. Younghusband (1890), Major General Orde Charles Wingate (1943), Major Z.C. Bakshi (1949), Col. Narinder Kumar for Siachen Glacier exploration (1978–81) and Cdr Dilip Donde and Lt. Cdr. Abhilash Tomy for their solo global circumnavigations.
The awardees for 2023 included Wing Commander D. Panda from the Air Force and Electrical Artificer (Radio) Rahul Kumar Pandey from the Navy.
For 2024, the Chief Electrical Aircraft Artificer (Radio) Ram Ratan Jat of the Navy and Sergeant Jhumar Ram Poonia from the Air Force were honoured with the medal.
The Colonel Ranvir Singh Jamwal, the Director of the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports in Arunachal Pradesh, was also awarded.
The event also featured the launch of the book Bravest of the Brave, a chronicle of the life and heroic journey of Naib Subedar Chunni Lal, authored by Lt. Gen. Satish Dua (retd.), former Chief of Integrated Defence Staff.