South Goa (Goa): Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), handed out prestigious gallantry and distinguished service awards to deserving Naval personnel, representing President Droupadi Murmu, in a ceremony held on Sunday.

The awards were bestowed to commend the courage, leadership, professional accomplishments, and remarkable service of the Naval personnel.

A total of 35 individuals received various awards at the Naval Investiture Ceremony hosted at INS Hansa, Goa. Among them were Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) presented to Cdr Manish Singh Karki, Cdr Kaustab Banerjee, Lt Cdr Panneerselvam Vishnu Prasanna, and Lt Cdr Bhaskar, as stated in an official release.

In addition to individual recognitions, the CNS also honored outstanding contributions in research and flight safety. The Lt VK Jain Memorial Gold Medal for pioneering research in Weapon Improvement and Electrical Engineering was awarded, along with the Capt Ravi Dhir Memorial Gold Medal for promoting Flight Safety.

Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, and INS Valsura clinched the CNS Trophy for Best Green Practices 2023 in the industrial and non-industrial categories, respectively.

Unit Citations were presented to various Naval units for their exceptional service throughout the past year. Recipients included Indian Naval Ships Teg, Kolkata, Karmuk, Sumedha, Sumitra, and Sharda, submarine INS Sindhukesari, flight squadron INAS 550, and shore establishments Chilka, Circars, Eksila, Dronacharya, and Naval Ship Repair Yard (Karwar).

The ceremony witnessed the presence of the awardees' spouses, families, and senior officers of the Indian Navy.

In his address, the CNS praised the award recipients for their acts of bravery and distinguished service, extending appreciation to their families for their unwavering support.

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