Chief of Army Staff, General M.M. Naravane presented the prestigious 'President Colours' or 'Nishan', as they are popularly known in the Army, to four parachute battalions on Wednesday.The four battallions 11 Para (Special Force), 21 Para (Special Force), 23 Para and 29 Para received the honours in the Colour Presentation Parade at the Parachute Regiment Training Centre(PRTC), here.The award of President's Colours is one of the greatest honours bestowed upon a Military Unit in recognition of exceptional service rendered by it to the nation, both during war and in peace. It is also known as 'Nishan'.The Parachute Regiment is an elite force of Indian Army which holds an impeccable record in battle, both pre and post independence.It has been conferred with 51 Battle Honours, 1 Victoria Cross, 28 Military Medals (MM), 11 Distinguished Service Orders (DSO), 40 Indian Distinguished Service Medals (IDSM) and 40 Military Cross (MC) from the inherited history of its battalions up to independence.
Thereafter, the Regiment has won number of laurels in such diverse theatres of peace and war as Gaza, Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Runn of Kutch, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir including Siachen and in Eastern theatre including Manipur, Nagaland and Assam.Post Independence, the Regiment displayed its troops' potential in all theatre of operations and earned 32 Chief of the Army Staff unit citations. The Parachute Regiment has been awarded with8 Ashok Chakras, 14 Maha Vir Chakras, 22 Kirti Chakras, 63 Vir Chakras, 116 Shaurya Chakras and 601 Sena Medals.The Chief of the Army Staff reviewed the parade and during his address, appreciated the laudable efforts and rich traditions of the Parachute Battalions in various arenas to include War, Operations and Training.The Chief of the Army Staff congratulated the newly raised units for their stupendous performance at the very initial stages of their service and exhorted them to perform their best always.The Chief of the Army Staff conveyed his best wishes to all ranks and families of the four battalions and asked them to serve the nation in a manner befitting the magnificent Indian Army and The Parachute Regiment. He also brought out that a modern and professional Indian Army has to be always ready to meet the future challenges that come its way.