Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards

Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards recognizes people who show real courage and a humane heart by saving someone's life during emergencies like drowning, fire, accidents, electrocution, landslides, animal attacks, and rescue work in mines. Award winners get a medal, a certificate signed by the President of India, and a cash allowance for their brave act.

Ministry of Home Affairs has opened online nominations for Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards for the year 2026. Recommendations can be sent only through the National Awards Portal from 1 April 2026 to 30 September 2026. Since the old Prime Minister's Police Medal for Life Saving has now been merged into Jeevan Raksha Padak, police, CAPF, and CPO personnel can also be nominated for these awards.

Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards - Details

Government of India gives these awards every year to honor acts of bravery where a person risks harm to save another life. The award can be given posthumously if the rescuer lost their life while carrying out the brave act. After nomination, a high-level award committee checks every recommendation and sends its final list to the Prime Minister and the President. Once the President approves, the winners receive a medal, a certificate, and a cash allowance.

Key Information

Benefits and Award Categories

The awards come in three separate categories, and each one recognizes a different level of risk and courage. The highest category is for saving a life when the rescuer faced very great danger, followed by categories for great danger and grave bodily injury. The benefits are given below.

• Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak: Given for outstanding courage in saving a life under circumstances of very great danger to the life of the rescuer. This is the top award in the series.
• Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak: Given for courage and promptness in saving a life under circumstances of great danger to the rescuer. It is the second highest award.
• Jeevan Raksha Padak: Given for courage and promptness in saving a life under circumstances of grave bodily injury to the rescuer.

Every winner receives a medal as per the category of the award, a certificate of appreciation signed by the President of India, and a cash allowance fixed as per current government rules. Awards are given every year after the President's approval, and the award can also be given posthumously to honor the sacrifice of a rescuer who lost their life.

Eligibility

People from all walks of life can be nominated for these awards. Members of the Armed Forces, Police Forces, and recognized Fire Services are also eligible. Since the Prime Minister's Police Medal for Life Saving has been merged into Jeevan Raksha Padak, members of CAPF, CPO, and state police forces can now get this award too. A few other conditions apply.

• The person must have performed a brave and humane life-saving act during drowning, accidents, fire, electrocution, landslides, animal attacks, or rescue operations.
• The act must have involved courage and promptness along with some risk or injury to the rescuer.
• For the 2026 awards, the date of the brave act should not be before 1 October 2024, because only acts done within two years are considered.
• Citizens from any field, including civilians, armed forces, police, and fire services, can be nominated.
• The award can be given posthumously if the rescuer lost their life while saving someone.

Application Process

Self-nomination is not allowed for these awards. Only authorized recommending authorities such as State Governments, Union Territory Administrations, and central Ministries or Departments can send nominations. The whole process is done online through the National Awards Portal.

STEP 1 - Go to the official National Awards Portal at awards.gov.in and click on the nomination or apply section for Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards.

STEP 2 - Register or login with the official User ID and Password of the recommending authority. If an authority has no login, details can be obtained by writing from an official government email ID to the portal support.

STEP 3 - Fill the online nomination form and write a citation of maximum 250 words describing the courage shown, the risk involved, and the sequence of the incident one by one. Google Translator can be used to write the nominee's name in Hindi.

STEP 4 - Upload the scanned copy of the character and antecedents verification certificate, signed and stamped by the recommending authority, with the other required documents.

STEP 5 - Submit the nomination online before 30 September 2026. Offline, email, or postal nominations are not accepted.

Documents Required

Recommending authorities should keep the following papers ready before filling the online form. These documents support the claim and speed up the checking process.

• A detailed citation of not more than 250 words explaining the brave act and the risk involved.
• Character and antecedents verification certificate, signed and stamped by the recommending authority.
• Valid identity proof of the nominee.
• A detailed incident report describing what happened and how the life was saved.
• Supporting proof such as photographs, media reports, or witness statements, if available.
• Contact details of the recommending authority.

References

For full rules, the nomination form, and the official guidelines, check the pages given below.

• Official National Awards Portal
• PIB release on Jeevan Raksha Padak 2026 nominations
• Official guidelines and award details

FAQ's

Who runs the Jeevan Raksha Padak scheme?

Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, is the main authority for inviting nominations and running this award. Final approval is given by the President of India.

Can a person apply by self-nomination?

No, self-nomination is not allowed. Only authorized recommending authorities like State Governments, UT Administrations, and central Ministries or Departments can send nominations.

Are police and CAPF personnel eligible for this award?

Yes. Since the Prime Minister's Police Medal for Life Saving has been merged into Jeevan Raksha Padak, members of CAPF, CPO, and police forces are now eligible along with civilians and armed forces personnel.

What is the last date to send nominations for 2026?

Recommendations for the 2026 awards must be sent through the National Awards Portal by 30 September 2026.

What is the time limit for the brave act?

Only acts done within two years from the nomination date are considered. For the 2026 awards, the date of the act should not be before 1 October 2024.

Can the award be given posthumously?

Yes, the award can be given posthumously to honor a rescuer who lost their life while saving someone.