Globetrotting Tarini crew to get gallantry award

Six young Indian Navy girls, who circumnavigated the globe in a tiny sailboat in 254 days are among the winners of 131 gallantry awards announced by the Defence Ministry on Tuesday ahead of the Independence Day.

Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi (skipper) and Pratibha Jamwal; Lt Swati P, Aishwarya Boddapati, S Vijaya Devi and Payal Gupta are the winners of the Nao Sena Medal (gallantry) because of their unique feat as they sailed over 21,600 nautical miles in INSV Tarini.

While no one has been selected for Ashoka Chakra, Sepoy Vrahma Pal Singh of the Rajput Regiment is the sole winner of Kirti Chakra (posthumous) – nation's second highest peacetime gallantry award – for his valiant action in an anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir as a part of 44 Rashtriya Rifles.

Rifleman Aurangzeb from Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment, who was abducted and killed by militants two months ago is one of the winners of Shaurya Chakra.

Fourteen Indian Army soldiers, one Navy officer and five men from Central Reserve Police Force are the winners of Shaurya Chakra.

Three soldiers receive Bar to Sena Medal, 93 get Sena Medal, 11 from Navy including the Tarini Girls receive Nao Sena Medal and three from Indian Air Force have been chosen for the Vayu Sena Medal. Eight from the Coast Guard receive Tatrakshak Medal in various categories.