Award Ceremony: Five military personnel were awarded the MacGregor Memorial Medal by the Chief of Defence Staff for exceptional contributions to military reconnaissance, exploration, and adventure in 2023 and 2024.
2023 Recipients: Wing Commander D. Panda (Air Force) and Electrical Artificer (Radio) Rahul Kumar Pandey (Navy).
2024 Recipients: Chief Electrical Aircraft Artificer (Radio) Ram Ratan Jat (Navy), Sergeant Jhumar Ram Poonia (Air Force), and Colonel Ranvir Singh Jamwal (Director of the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports, Arunachal Pradesh), though he wasn’t present due to a mountaineering expedition.
Historical Significance: The medal was instituted on July 3, 1888, in honor of Major General Sir Charles Metcalfe MacGregor, founder of the United Service Institution of India (USI).
Evolution of Scope: Initially for military reconnaissance and exploration, its scope expanded post-1986 to encompass adventure activities.
Eligibility: Open to all ranks (serving and retired) of the Armed Forces, Territorial Army, Reserve Forces, Rashtriya Rifles, and Assam Rifles.
Past Awardees: Notable past recipients include Captain F.E. Younghusband, Major General Orde Charles Wingate, Col. Narinder Kumar, and Cdr Dilip Donde.
Total Awards: To date, 127 medals have been awarded.
Book Launch: The event also marked the launch of “Bravest of the Brave,” a biography of Naib Subedar Chunni Lal, authored by Lt. Gen. Satish Dua (retd.).
