NSA Ajit Doval chosen for Lokmanya Tilak Award; Amit Shah to present honour on August 1

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, one of the country’s longest-serving and most influential security officials, will receive the Lokmanya Tilak Award this year in recognition of his contribution to national security, the Tilak Smarak Trust announced on Monday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will present the award to Doval at a ceremony in Pune on August 1.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar are expected to attend the event, which will be held at the Maharashtriya Mandal ground in Pune’s Gultekdi area.

Recognition For A Long Security Career

Doval has spent decades handling some of India’s most sensitive security assignments. During his career, he served in conflict-prone regions including Mizoram, Punjab, Sikkim, and Jammu and Kashmir, besides diplomatic postings at Indian missions in Islamabad and London.

He is India’s longest-serving National Security Advisor and has also served as the country’s Special Representative for the India-China boundary talks. Doval is widely credited with playing a key role in the diplomatic efforts that helped resolve the 2017 Doklam standoff between India and China.

About The Lokmanya Tilak Award

Instituted in 1983 by the Tilak Smarak Trust, the Lokmanya Tilak Award is presented every year on August 1, the death anniversary of freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

The honour recognises individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the nation’s progress and development.

The first recipient was socialist leader SM Joshi.

Over the years, the award has been conferred on several prominent national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi (2023), former Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and Indira Gandhi, former President Pranab Mukherjee, and veteran politician Sharad Pawar.

In 2025, the award was given to Nitin Gadkari.  

(With inputs from PTI)