New Delhi: Sorokhaibam Rudranarayan Singh, a deputy superintendent of the Manipur Police, who has been involved in crucial peace talks with several militant and insurgent groups in the state over the years, has been conferred with the President’s Medal for Distinguished Services on the occasion of India’s 76th Republic Day.
Additionally, six other police personnel from Manipur, where ethnic violence has raged since 2023, also received Meritorious Service medals Sunday.
The President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM) is awarded for a specially distinguished record of service, while the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) is awarded for valuable service characterised by resourcefulness and devotion to duty. The seven officers are part of the 942 personnel—including those from the police, fire, home guard and civil defence services—from across the country, who are being awarded for their service this year.
Singh, currently posted in the Criminal Investigation Department (Special Branch) in Manipur, had also received the President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service on Republic Day in 2018. Officials told ThePrint that Singh had joined Manipur Police as a sub-inspector in 1994.
The officer has dealt with various matters of law and order, including those sensitive and confidential in nature.
These include the 2008 Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement with various Kuki underground groups, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during peace talks with various valley-based militant groups in 2022, and the 2024 Cessation of Operations (CoO) with Zeliangrong United Front, among others.
Singh has also served as a member of the team that recently concluded the verification process for cadres of the United National Liberation Front (Pambei) group that signed a ceasefire with the Indian government and signed a peace pact in 2023.
Additionally, he has been a part of high-level security coordination meetings as well as Parliament and Manipur Assembly matters. He also played a part in the referral of cases to central agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation and the National Investigation Agency.
In 2009, Singh was promoted to the post of Inspector of Police and posted in the CID, attached to the Manipur Home Department.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said that Singh dealt with facilitating the movement of people stranded due to the lockdowns in India and abroad.
As a result, he received the 2020-2021 Chief Minister’s Award for Good Governance under the ‘Team’ category for exemplary services done during the pandemic.
The following year, he was given the same award for the successful evacuation of stranded Manipuris from war-torn Ukraine and assisting families of those stranded.
Officials also said that Singh was a member of the Manipur Home Department team that was constituted when the ethnic clashes in the state first began in May 2023 to assist people during evacuations.
In 2023, he was promoted to DSP and posted back with the CID.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
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