---
title: "National Security Advisor Ajit Doval Receives Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/national-security-advisor-ajit-doval-receives-lokmanya-tilak-national-award-in-p-fzipo
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
section: India
published: 2026-08-01T08:42:25.000Z
modified: 2026-08-01T11:01:42.446Z
language: en-IN
---

# National Security Advisor Ajit Doval Receives Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune

Home Minister Amit Shah presented the prestigious award to Ajit Doval for his career-long dedication to Indian security. The ceremony coincided with the death anniversary of freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

## Key takeaways

- NSA Ajit Doval received the Lokmanya Tilak National Award on August 1, 2026, for his contributions to national security.
- Doval is India's longest-serving National Security Advisor and played a key role in resolving the Doklam standoff.
- The award ceremony coincided with tributes to social reformer Annabhau Sathe on his birth anniversary in Pune.
- The Lokmanya Tilak Award has historically been granted to figures like Narendra Modi, Manmohan Singh, and Indira Gandhi.

## Longest-Serving NSA Honored for Strategic Impact

In a ceremony held in Pune on August 1, 2026, Union Home Minister Amit Shah conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National Award upon National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. The Tilak Smarak Trust selected the 81-year-old official in recognition of his extensive influence on the nation's strategic defense and stability. Doval currently holds the record as India's longest-serving National Security Advisor.

Doval's career spans several decades of high-stakes assignments in volatile regions including Jammu and Kashmir, Mizoram, Punjab, and Sikkim. His professional background includes:
- Diplomatic service at Indian missions in London and Islamabad.
- Acting as India's special representative during boundary negotiations with China.
- Managing the diplomatic strategy that led to the resolution of the Doklam standoff.

## A Legacy of National Recognition

Established in 1983, the Lokmanya Tilak Award is presented annually on August 1 to mark the death anniversary of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The Trust reserves this honor for individuals whose work significantly advances the progress of the country. Socialist leader S.M. Joshi was the inaugural recipient. Doval now joins an elite list of past honorees, which includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Presidents such as Pranab Mukherjee, and former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Manmohan Singh. Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar has also received the distinction in previous years.

## Commemorating Social Reformer Annabhau Sathe

During the Pune visit, Home Minister Shah also recognized the birth anniversary of Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe, a pioneering figure in Dalit literature and social reform born in 1920. Accompanied by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Shah offered floral tributes at Sathe's statue in the Sarasbaug area. The gathering highlighted Sathe's enduring influence as a folk poet and activist who shaped the cultural fabric of Maharashtra.

Source: The Hindu — National

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Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/national-security-advisor-ajit-doval-receives-lokmanya-tilak-national-award-in-p-fzipo
Reported from: The Hindu — National