Medal for Meritorious Service 2025 (India)

The award is to be conferred on the members of recognized Police Forces of States/Union Territories/Central Police Organizations (CPOs), Central Armed Police Forces (CAPPs), Security Organizations; Fire Service (organized and administered by the Central Ministries or Departments, State Governments, Union Territory Administrations, Municipal and other Autonomous Bodies, and Public Sector Undertakings); Prison Administration; Home Guards and Civil Defence in india.

Objective

• The Medal for Meritorious Service has been instituted to recognize the valuable services characterized by resource and devotion to duty including prolonged service marked by ability and merit in Police Service or the Units of Centre Police & Security Organization/ Correctional Service/ Fire Service/ Home Guard & Civil Defence.

Award Information

• A scroll signed by the President along with the medal.
• The number of Medal for Meritorious Service in any one year shall not exceed 1590.

Eligibility Criteria

• Prolonged service of minimum 18 years on the date of occasion i.e. 26th January/ 15th August as the case may be, marked by ability and merit for the members of Police Service or the Units of Centre Police & Security Organization, Fire Service, Correctional Service and regular paid employees of Home Guard and Civil Defence and minimum eight years of service for the volunteer members of the Home Guard and Civil Defence are required for Medal for Meritorious Service.
• For the officer who has already been awarded Police/Fire Service/Correctional Service/Home Guard and Civil Defence Medal for Meritorious Service shall not be awarded “Medal for Meritorious Service” thereafter.
• The President’s Medal for Meritorious Service shall be awarded to officer/ personnel of eligible organizations as mentioned above only once in his/her entire service
• The integrity of the recommendee shall be above suspicion and he/she should not be concerned in any proceedings that were censured in the Court of Law. Further, no judicial or departmental proceedings shall be contemplated/pending against him/her.
• No vigilance case should be pending/contemplated against him/her.
• The recommendee has not been given any penalty or punishment in the period under review (Last ten years).
• The character & antecedents of the recommendee need to be duly verified so as to find nothing adverse reported against him/ her.
• APARs for last 10 years shall be considered for both the awards.
• In case of volunteers of Home Guards and Civil Defence where there is no system of writing APAR, a current work performance report as per the format attached (Annexure II) should be submitted with the recommendation.

Nomination Criteria

• The respective Organizations will all/submit their nominations through National Award Portal in prescribed proforma as per Aanexure-l.
• The recommendation for the awards shall be made by the concerned State/UT/organizations from all ranks in due proportion.
• While recommending for these service awards to eligible personnel, seniority combined with professionalism and repute may be taken into consideration.
• The citation in respect of each officer recommended for award of Meritorious Service should not exceed 200 words.
• ‘No Objection Certificates’ wherever applicable may be sent to this Ministry as early as possible;
• Due attention is to be paid to accommodate candidates belonging to SC/ST, woman and minorities.
• The recommendations are required to be signed by Director General/ Additional Director General/Head of, Organization concerned. All recommendations are to be routed through the State Government / UT Administration/ Administrative
• Controlling Department to avoid technical rejections.
• In case anything adverse is noticed about the recommendee subsequent to the recommendations but before the declaration of the final award, details of such action should be sent to the Ministry immediately in the sealed cover.

Selection Criteria

• A Committee of Senior Officers : for examination and selection of nominees at Central/State/UT Agency Level, constituted by the head of the Organizations. Thereafter, the respective Organization will submit the nominations of the same to this Ministry after completing all the codal formalities.
• A Sub-Committee : it is formed with the approval of Union Home Secretary at the level of Ministry of Home Affairs to scrutinize the nominations and assist the Central Awards Committee.
• A Central Awards Committee : compositions of following members will make the final recommendations.

For more information, visit Government of India.