Indian soldiers forced to buy duplicate medals? Army has handful of them; 10 lakh pending for delivered: Ex-Lt Gen

By A Representative
A retired lieutenant general of Special Forces of the Indian Army has alleged a major scam going on in India's armed forces – of forcing soldiers to buy up duplicate medals, because the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, claims the medals are "in short supply.”
The allegation by Lt General PC Katoch (retired), a veteran officer of the Special Forces (units which are under the direct command of the Indian military and specifically organised, trained, and are equipped to conduct and support special operations) comes amidst Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar seeking a report on the short supply of medals that has forced soldiers to buy duplicate ones from the market.
The medals are awarded for various achievements, including bravery, distinguished service among others. Katoch, quoting sources, says, "While those medals awarded at investiture ceremonies were available, lakhs of others awarded over the years are not."
"This includes those given for completing a certain number of years in service, serving in difficult areas or taking part in various operations", says Katoch, adding, "The situation has been such that only a handful of medals have been officially issued over the last 7-8 years while over 10 lakh medals are pending."
Says Katoch, "Defence Minister Parrikar should also for figures of how many medals were dispatched by post to soldiers, say, in the last 10 years long ‘after’ after they had retired from service. The numbers would likely shock him."
Insisting that "the Medal Section is quite capable of obfuscating the real figures", Katoch says, "According to an unnamed source in the Ministry of Defence, non-availability was due to some financial constraints. This is nothing but a weak bureaucratic cover up especially considering the crores of rupees from the defence budget that gets surrendered each financial year."
"One favourite place for purchasing duplicate medals is Gopinath Bazar in Delhi Cantonment", says Katoch, adding, "The difference between the original and the duplicate is that the name of the soldier and his service number is engraved on the rim of the original medal."
According to Katoch, a soldier buys a duplicate medal because wearing it "on his chest that adds to his ‘izzat’. He does not favour his chest bare without the medals due to him and – consequently less medals compared to his contemporaries."
"The problem of giving the medals to soldiers’ years after these were awarded is endemic and the actual issue is institutionalized corruption", believes Katoch.
Pointing to why Ministry of Defence officials reject providing medals, Katoch recalls, "when the Government of India decided to award the 50-year Independence Medal to all security forces (Armed Forces, Para Military Forces, Central Armed Police Forces and Police personnel included), the overall contract worked out to some Rs 100 crore, even though the duplicate was available in Gopinath Bazar for less than half that price."
"Awarding the contract itself took considerable time because vendors were being hunted who could pass on Rs 20 crore under the table before the agreement was inked", Katoch says.
"It is also very likely that the same vendor or vendors, who produce the actual medals, also makes the duplicates. This can be easily verified from the shops selling duplicate medals", suspects Katoch, adding, "Obviously, delayed delivery of actual medals boosts the sales of duplicate medals. After all, the vendor has to somewhat make up, if not completely, the bribe paid while securing the contract for delivering the actual medals."

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Covishield controversy: How India ignored a warning voice during the pandemic

Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD * It is a matter of pride for us that a person of Indian origin, presently Director of National Institute of Health, USA, is poised to take over one of the most powerful roles in public health. Professor Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian origin physician and a health economist, from Stanford University, USA, will be assuming the appointment of acting head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Bhattacharya would be leading two apex institutions in the field of public health which not only shape American health policies but act as bellwether globally.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Growth without justice: The politics of wealth and the economics of hunger

By Vikas Meshram* In modern history, few periods have displayed such a grotesque and contradictory picture of wealth as the present. On one side, a handful of individuals accumulate in a single year more wealth than the annual income of entire nations. On the other, nearly every fourth person in the world goes to bed hungry or half-fed.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

'Serious violation of international law': US pressure on Mexico to stop oil shipments to Cuba

By Vijay Prashad In January 2026, US President Donald Trump declared Cuba to be an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US security—a designation that allows the United States government to use sweeping economic restrictions traditionally reserved for national security adversaries. The US blockade against Cuba began in the 1960s, right after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 but has tightened over the years. Without any mandate from the United Nations Security Council—which permits sanctions under strict conditions—the United States has operated an illegal, unilateral blockade that tries to force countries from around the world to stop doing basic commerce with Cuba. The new restrictions focus on oil. The United States government has threatened tariffs and sanctions on any country that sells or transports oil to Cuba.

Development at what cost? The budget's blind spot for the environment

By Raj Kumar Sinha* The historical ills in the relationship between capital and the environment have now manifested in areas commonly referred to as the "environmental crisis." This includes global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, the devastation of tropical forests, mass mortality of fish, species extinction, loss of biodiversity, poison seeping into the atmosphere and food, desertification, shrinking water supplies, lack of clean water, and radioactive pollution.

Big promises, limited delivery? Rekha Gupta's first year as Delhi CM

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* Delhi has witnessed women at the helm before, each leaving behind a distinct political and administrative imprint on the national capital. From diplomacy to development, the city's past female chief ministers shaped governance in their own ways. As Rekha Gupta completes one year in office, the question arises: has her tenure lived up to her ambitious promises? After her first year, Gupta appears to have made tall claims but delivered little since taking the oath of office. Despite coming from a background in student politics, her report card as Delhi chief minister is far from impressive. She seems to understand the nuances of politics, yet she is often seen generating considerable buzz without substantial delivery on the ground.

Search This Blog