The Special Task Force (STF) of Assam has received a major national honour for its brave and effective work in a high-risk anti-terror operation. The team has been awarded the ‘Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak – 2025’ in the Special Operations category for its achievement in neutralising a Jehadi group during Operation Praghat. The award has been approved by the Union Home Minister and was officially announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday.
This award is given every year to select police officers across India who show outstanding professionalism and courage while performing their duties. For Assam, this recognition reflects the strong commitment and growing capability of the state police in counter-terror and intelligence-based operations.
The officers honoured in this award include senior leader Dr Partha Sarathi Mahanta, IPS, who serves as Inspector General of Police, STF Assam. Notably, this is the second time he has received this honour. Along with him, the award has also been given to Pranab Kumar Pegu, Anurag Sarmah, Kh. Satyendra Singh Hazari, Inspector Saroj Doley, Inspector Sankar Jyoti Nath, Inspector Kapil Pathak, and Inspector Vikram Basumatary. These officers worked closely as a team and played key roles in the success of the operation. 
Operation Praghat was a focused mission designed to trace and dismantle a hidden Jehadi network inside Assam. The STF used strong intelligence inputs and acted quickly and effectively. As a result, the network was destroyed before it could carry out dangerous plans. Security officials believe this operation prevented possible extremist activities in sensitive areas of the state and strengthened Assam’s overall security environment.
