Ajit Doval Receives Lokmanya Tilak National Award, Urges Youth to Prioritize National Interest

On 1 August 2026, India’s longest‑serving National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was presented with the Lokmanya Tilak National Award at a ceremony in Pune’s Maharashtra Mandal Ground. Union Home Minister Amit Shah handed over the honour on the occasion of the 106th death anniversary of freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, and other dignitaries in attendance.

The award recognised Doval’s decades‑long contributions to India’s national security, including counter‑terrorism operations, the Doklam diplomatic resolution, and the Balakot air strike, as well as his role in border negotiations with China. In his acceptance speech, Doval warned that India is at a “rare window of opportunity” and called on the country’s youth to place the nation’s interest above personal or narrow gains, urging them to “sacrifice small personal interests” for the greater good. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Shah for their leadership and cited Tilak’s legacy as a model of patriotic duty.