Ajit Doval to receive Lokmanya Tilak Award for national security

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has been selected for the Lokmanya Tilak Award 2026 for his contribution to national security. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will present the honour in Pune on August 1, commemorating Bal Gangadhar Tilak's death anniversary

Pune: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has been selected for the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award for his significant contribution to the field of national security, the Tilak Smarak Trust announced on Monday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will present the award to Doval at a function in Pune on August 1. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar are likely to attend the event, the trust’s president, Dr Rohit Tilak, said at a press conference.

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The award ceremony will be held at the Maharashtriya Mandal ground in the Gultekdi area of Pune. Doval, 81, has handled crucial assignments in sensitive regions, including Mizoram, Sikkim, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. He also served in diplomatic roles at Indian missions in Islamabad and London.

He is the longest-serving National Security Advisor of India. Doval has served as India’s special representative for the India-China boundary talks and is also credited with playing an important role in diplomatic efforts that helped resolve the Doklam standoff.

Instituted in 1983, the Lokmanya Tilak Award was first conferred on socialist leader S M Joshi. It is awarded every year on August 1, the death anniversary of freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, to individuals who have made a remarkable contribution to the nation’s progress and development.

Over the years, the award has been presented to several eminent personalities, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former PMs Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, former President Pranab Mukherjee and veteran politician Sharad Pawar.