The Assam Rifles Ground in Agartala turned into a stage of pride and honour on Friday as Tripura celebrated the 79th Independence Day with a vibrant ceremony led by Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha.

Amid the tricolour fluttering high, the state paid tribute to its finest police, Home Guard, and intelligence personnel by presenting them with some of the nation’s most coveted service medals.

The occasion recognized officers and staff who had earlier been conferred medals by the President of India and the Union Home Minister on Republic Day and Independence Day over 2023 and 2024. The Chief Minister presented the prestigious medals during the event.

President’s Police Medal awardees included Inspector (UB) Debabrata Paul, Dy SP (Traffic) Dipak Kumar Sarkar, Inspector (UB) Rana Chatterjee of West Tripura, TSR 6th Battalion Subedar (GD) Kaustav Bhattacharjee, Police Training Academy SI (AB) Pintu Majumder, TSR 10th Battalion Naik Subedar (Clerk) Abdul Shahid, TSR Dy SP (West) Kamal Krishna Kaloi, TSR 8th Battalion Subedar (GD) Khirod Debbarma, TSR 12th Battalion Havildar (GD) Nihar Debbarma, Naik (GD) Nirmal Das, Special Branch Constable Sujan Kanti Choudhury, and Special Branch Constable Jayanti Chakraborty.

Medals for Distinguished Service in Home Guard & Civil Defence went to Home Guard Nantu Chakma, Home Guard Bikash Chandra Saha, and Home Guard Naba Kumar Sarkar.

Union Home Minister’s Medal recipients included Sepahijala Additional SP Rajib Sutradhar, Inspector (UB) Nandan Das, and SI (UB) Nam Choi Moya Darlong. Special Branch Additional SP Shyamananda Sharma was also honoured with the Medal for Exceptional Intelligence Gathering, a rare honour recognizing his outstanding contributions in the field.

The celebration also brought fresh announcements: the President’s Police Medal for 2024 will go to Deputy IGP (Northern Range) Rati Ranjan Debnath, TSR 1st Battalion Subedar (GD) Pasuram Debbarma, TSR 5th Battalion Havildar (GD) Dilip Kumar Singh, Special Branch Constable Dhruba Kapali, KTDS Police Training Academy Constable Uttam Debnath, and North District Constable Hemendra Chandra Nath. They will be formally felicitated during the Republic Day parade in 2026.

The event concluded with applause echoing across the field, reflecting the gratitude of an entire state towards its unsung heroes—men and women who safeguard peace, uphold justice, and serve with unwavering dedication.