In a remarkable milestone for India, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has been honored with the Ashoka Chakra, the nation's highest award for gallantry during peacetime. This recognition comes after his historic journey to the International Space Station (ISS), where he became the first Indian to set foot as part of the Axiom-4 mission.

Shukla's journey into space took place in June of the previous year, marking him as the second Indian to venture into space, following the legendary Rakesh Sharma's flight aboard a Russian Soyuz in 1984.

With an impressive flight record of 2,000 hours, Shukla has piloted various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.

On the eve of Republic Day, President Droupadi Murmu approved the distribution of gallantry awards to 70 members of the armed forces, which included six posthumous honors. Among these were one Ashoka Chakra, three Kirti Chakras, and 13 Shaurya Chakras, with one awarded posthumously.

The recipients of the Kirti Chakra include Major Arshdeep Singh, Naib Subedar Doleshwar Subba, and Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair.