14-01-2026:On the occasion of Armed Forces Veterans Day, Governor participated in the programme “Ek Shaam Sainikon Ke Naam” held at Lok Bhavan on Wednesday

Lok Bhavan Uttarakhand-Information Wing
Press Note

Lok Bhavan Dehradun 14 January, 2026

On the occasion of Armed Forces Veterans Day, Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd.) participated in the programme “Ek Shaam Sainikon Ke Naam” (An Evening Dedicated to Soldiers) held at Lok Bhavan on Wednesday. The event was organised by the Department of Sainik Welfare. On this occasion, the Governor honoured gallantry award-winning soldiers and ex-servicemen for their distinguished service. Personnel and officers from paramilitary forces were also presented with Governor’s Commendation Certificates (list enclosed).

During the programme, the Kumaon Regimental Centre, Ranikhet, and the 9th Mountain Brigade, Joshimath, were also honoured with Unit Commendation Certificates for their exemplary contribution.

Addressing the gathering, the Governor highlighted the invaluable contribution of ex-servicemen and said that while other youth serve the nation in different fields, soldiers dedicate the most important years of their lives to the service of the nation with unwavering commitment and discipline. He said that a nation which does not honour its soldiers faces an uncertain future, whereas a society and nation that remembers and respects the sacrifices of its soldiers can never be weakened by any force.

The Governor said that the upcoming “Amrit Generation” must draw inspiration from the soldiers’ discipline, dedication and the spirit of “Nation First”. He called upon ex-servicemen to share their life experiences, discipline and spirit of service with society and youth, so that they can play a stronger role in nation-building. Emphasising the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047, he said that the values embodied by ex-servicemen would play a crucial role in shaping the character of future generations.

The Governor noted that nearly every family in Uttarakhand is associated with the military tradition. At present, more than one lakh soldiers from Uttarakhand are deployed on the nation’s borders, and over four lakh ex-servicemen continue to be a source of pride for society. Referring to the worship of Baba Jaswant Singh at Jaswantgarh in Arunachal Pradesh, he said it reflects how India accords divine respect to its warriors.

On this occasion, Minister for Sainik Welfare Shri Ganesh Joshi said that this programme, initiated under the inspiration of the Hon’ble Governor, has now become a tradition of remembering and honouring the contribution of soldiers. He also shared information about various welfare schemes of the Sainik Welfare Department. Secretary, Sainik Welfare, Shri Dipendra Chaudhary welcomed the guests and briefed them about the programme.

Among those present were First Lady Smt. Gurmeet Kaur, Commandant, IMA, Lieutenant General Nagendra Singh, Secretary to the Governor Shri Ravinath Raman, Legal Advisor to the Governor Shri Kaushal Kishore Shukla, Major General Naveen Mahajan, GOC 14 Infantry Division, Clement Town, Major General M.P.S. Gill, GOC Uttarakhand Sub Area, IG SDRF Ms. Nivedita Kukreti, Brigadier Gaurav Batra, Brigadier S.K. Yadav, DIG SSB Srinagar Shri Subhash Chandra Negi, Director Sainik Welfare Shri Shyam Singh, along with serving soldiers, ex-servicemen and other distinguished guests.

Gallantry Award Recipients Honoured

Naik Anil Rana, Nb Subedar Dheeraj Mani Saklani, Captain Deepak Singh (Posthumous), Major Sankship Bhardwaj, Major Himanshu Deopa, Honorary Captain Binod Singh, Sepoy Mohit Singh Airi, Havildar Navjeet Singh Chauhan, Major Ravindra Bhatt, Lance Naik Rajesh Chand, Rifleman Shailendra Singh (Posthumous), Wing Commander Bhaskar Aruni

Central Armed Police Forces Personnel Honoured

SSB Second-in-Command Lalit Sah, Constable Kuldeep Kumar, Constable Neetu Kumari, Constable Krishna Prasad Sharma;
ITBP Inspector Bhagat Singh Rawat, Inspector Suman Panwar;
SDRF Uttarakhand ASI Pankaj Ghildiyal, Fireman Praveen Chauhan

Ex-Servicemen Honoured

Manoj Semwal
Anil Singh Negi
Kalam Singh

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