IN A stirring salute to courage, discipline and selfless service, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (JAK RRC) Regimental Centre under headquarter Madhya Bharat Area in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, received the prestigious Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Unit Appreciation on January 15, 2026 – the 78th Army Day. General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff, personally conferred the honour in recognition of the Centre’s exceptional standards of training, operational readiness, professionalism and outstanding contribution to nation-building.

 

The award was received on stage by Brigadier Rakesh Sharma, Commandant and Centre Subedar Major Pankaj Sharma at a grand investiture ceremony held at Sapta Shakti Auditorium, Jaipur Military Station. The setting was electric with pride – ranks of impeccably turnedout soldiers, veterans wearing their medals and families applauding every announcement. For JAK RRC family, this was more than an award, it was public acknowledgement of the quiet, relentless excellence that defines the regiment every single day.

 

The Jammu and Kashmir Rifles itself carries a legacy few can match. Raised over two centuries ago, it is one of the Indian Army’s most decorated regiments, with battle honours from World War-I, World War-II, 1947–48 war for Kashmir, 1965, 1971, Kargil and countless counter-insurgency operations since. Nicknamed “Kashmir’s Own”, its war cry – “Durge Mata Ki Jai” – still echoes across the toughest heights and valleys of the northern frontier.

 

The Regimental Centre at Jabalpur is the beating heart of this legacy, where raw recruits are transformed into the disciplined, fiercely loyal riflemen who continue to write new chapters of valour. This is not the first time the Centre has stood tallest among its peers. In 2024 it was adjudged the Best Infantry Regimental Centre in the Indian Army, and its marching contingent was declared the Best at the Republic Day Parade 2025 on Kartavya Path – a performance so crisp and synchronised that it drew thunderous applause from the entire nation.

 

Each of these triumphs has filled Jabalpur with immense pride. Sanskaardhani - the city’s beloved sobriquet that celebrates its deep cultural roots – has shared an unbreakable bond with the JAK RIF Centre since it was established here in 1975. From the early morning bugle calls that wake the cantonment to the weekend cricket matches between soldiers and local college teams, the regiment is woven into the city’s daily life. The Centre runs schools and vocational programmes for families.

 

Generations of Jabalpurians have grown up cheering the regiment’s parades and attending its band displays. For the people of Jabalpur and Madhya Pradesh, January 15, 2026 was a moment of shared joy. Social media overflowed with messages of congratulations. Residents rightly see the regiment’s success as their own – after all, the soldiers who march with such pride on Kartavya Path or stand guard on the LoC once trained on these very grounds, among these very people.

 

As India strides confidently into its Amrit Kaal, honours like the ‘Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Unit Appreciation’ remind us that the strength of a nation lies in the character of its soldiers and the love its people have for them. The Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Regimental Centre has once again shown why it remains a fountainhead of excellence and inspiration. May the green fields of Jabalpur continue to produce warriors who keep our Tricolour flying high, and may Sanskaardhani forever bask in the reflected glory of its magnificent regiment.