MacGregor Medal

Recent Awards: Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan conferred the MacGregor Memorial Medal to five military personnel for outstanding contributions in military reconnaissance, exploration, and adventure for 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). Col Jamwal was absent due to an expedition to Mt. Kangchenjunga.

Ceremony: The medals were presented at a ceremony at the United Service Institution of India (USI).

Medal’s Origin: Instituted on July 3, 1888, in memory of Major General Sir Charles Metcalfe MacGregor, founder of the USI (1870).

Original Purpose: Initially for military reconnaissance and exploration journeys.

Expanded Scope: Post-Independence (specifically 1986), the scope broadened to include military expeditions and adventure activities.

Eligibility: Open to all ranks (serving and retired) of the Armed Forces, Territorial Army, Reserve Forces, Rashtriya Rifles, and Assam Rifles.

Notable Past Recipients: Capt F.E. Younghusband (1890), Maj. Gen. Orde Charles Wingate (1943), Maj. Z.C. Bakshi (1949), Col. Narinder Kumar (Siachen Glacier exploration), Cdr. Dilip Donde and Lt. Cdr. Abhilash Tomy (solo global circumnavigations).

Total Awards: 127 medals awarded to date, including 103 before Independence.

Book Launch: The event also featured the launch of “Bravest of the Brave,” a biography of Naib Subedar Chunni Lal by Lt. Gen. Satish Dua (retd.).