Ashoka Chakra to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla – Republic Day 2026.

The President of India presented the Nation’s Highest Peacetime Military Decoration Ashoka Chakra to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force on 26th Jan 2026 during the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi. He is the First Indian Astronaut at ISS and the second Indian to go to Space.

As of 2026 , Ashoka Chakra has been awarded to 87 persons , of these 68 have been Posthumous recipients and 17 have been Civilians. Only two Women and two Non-Indians have been awarded Ashoka Chakra.

This Special Cover was released on 30 Jun 2025 at Bengaluru.