President presents Shaurya Chakra to Major Bhargav Kalita

Guwahati: President Droupadi Murmu awarded Major Bhargav Kalita with the Shaurya Chakra for exceptional gallantry in counter-terrorism operations at the Defence Investiture Ceremony (Phase-I) held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday.Major Kalita of the Kumaon Regiment/50th Battalion, the Rashtriya Rifles, is the eldest son of Major Gen Bhaskar Kalita (retd). He has actively participated in multiple successful operations since Oct 2022, resulting in the neutralisation of three dreaded terrorists and the apprehension of four hardcore over ground workers.According to the citation, on Dec 2, 2024, acting on short-notice intelligence inputs, Major Kalita meticulously planned, led and executed a surgical ambush operation against a hardcore terrorist.When challenged at close range, the terrorist opened indiscriminate fire and attempted to escape. Undeterred, Major Kalita brought down precise fire and skilfully manoeuvred his team to block all escape routes. He directed the ambush party to maintain continuous surveillance and suppressive fire, ensuring the terrorist remained pinned down. Demonstrating extraordinary bravery, Major Kalita crawled towards the concealed terrorist under grave danger. Displaying nerves of steel and indomitable courage, he charged the terrorist and neutralised him in an intense close-combat engagement.The eliminated terrorist was later identified as an A++ category terrorist responsible for the killing of seven innocent civilians and several deadly attacks on security forces.