New Delhi, Oct 31: On Tuesday, more than 204 police officers—among them Manipur Police Director General Rajiv Singh—were selected to receive the Union Home Minister’s Special Operation Medal for 2023. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also cleared the list, which includes senior IPS officer Amit Kumar, who is currently assigned to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) after serving in various roles in Jammu and Kashmir.Singh was selected for the honour because of his excellent performance in his prior position as inspector general of the CRPF. Singh was assigned the duty of leading the Manipur Police when ethnic unrest struck the northeastern state in May. According to an official statement, the 204 police officers are affiliated with 10 states as well as three national agencies: the CRPF, the National Investigation Agency, and the Narcotics Control Bureau. Assam, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, West Bengal, and Uttarakhand are the states in question.In 2018, the medal was established with the aim of honouring actions that require extensive planning, are highly consequential to the security of the nation, state, or union territory, and have a major influence on the security of broader segments of the population. According to the statement, the medal is given for exceptional operations in fields like border action, counterterrorism, arms control, stopping the smuggling of illegal drugs, and rescue missions. Every year on October 31, it is announced. Typically, the award is granted to up to three exceptional operations each year; however, under exceptional circumstances, the award may be given to up to five exceptional operations in order to support the state and UT Police.
