India marked a historic moment on Republic Day as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla was awarded the Ashok Chakra, the nation’s highest peacetime gallantry honour. President Droupadi Murmu presented the award during the grand Republic Day ceremony, recognising Shukla’s exceptional bravery and service to the country. Group Captain Shukla etched his name in history by becoming the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and only the second Indian ever to travel to space. He flew to the ISS on June 25, 2025, as part of Axiom Space’s AX mission, reviving India’s human spaceflight legacy 41 years after the country’s first astronaut ventured into space.