In a prestigious recognition of their exceptional service and investigative acumen, six police officers from Gujarat will be honoured with the ‘Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak’ or Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence.
Among the distinguished recipients are two of Gujarat’s noted IPS officers, Nirlipt Rai and Dr Lavina Sinha, who were jointly selected for this medal. The honour also extends to three police inspectors—Harpalsinh Rathod, Amarsinh Chauhan, and Mayur Kumar Patel—as well as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Virjeetsinh Parmar.
Who is Nirlipt Rai?
Nirlipt Rai, a 2010 batch IPS officer, currently serves as the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Gujarat’s State Monitoring Cell (SMC). Rai has been posted in multiple districts across Gujarat, including Amreli, Surat and Ahmedabad. He was born on February 28, 1983, in Uttar Pradesh.
He holds a Master’s degree in Science and his professionalism has gained respect even from political opposition. Notably, Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani, a vocal critic of Gujarat’s Additional Director General of Police (SC/ST Cell) Rajkumar Pandian, recently praised Rai’s work.
Who is Dr Lavina Sinha?
Dr Lavina Sinha, a 2017 batch IPS officer, serves as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime) in Ahmedabad. Her investigative skills and recent work on high-profile digital arrests have earned her significant attention.
The Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence, introduced by the Central Government, aims to acknowledge outstanding performance within police, intelligence and forensic services. This award consolidates four previous medals for excellence, creating a single, distinguished recognition for top police personnel.
Announced annually on October 31 in commemoration of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary, the medal features an engraving of Patel, with “Rashtra Prahari” (Nation’s Sentinel) above and “Jai Bharat” (Victory to India) below.
In February this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a formal notification on the establishment of the medal.
For 2024, a total of 463 officers from various states, Union territories, Central Armed Police Forces and Central Police Organisations (CPOs) have been recognised with the medal.
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