12 september 2024 : The Election Commission has appointed Paralympic archery champion Rakesh Kumar as a National Icon for the differently-abled. The Commission had previously announced that Rakesh’s compound archery teammate, Sheetal Devi, would also be named a National Icon in March. At a ceremony, Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar and Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu honored Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar for winning bronze medals in archery at the Paris Paralympics.
