Ranjit “Ricky” Singh Gill, an Indian-origin adviser associated with US President Donald Trump, has drawn attention after receiving a high-level National Security Council recognition for his alleged involvement in India-Pakistan ceasefire-related coordination earlier this year. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio presented the Distinguished Action Award to the thirty-eight-year-old official in Washington, citing his role in internal coordination and diplomatic outreach during 2025.
The award has generated debate, as it comes at a time when India has firmly rejected repeated assertions by President Trump that Washington played a mediating role in ending hostilities between New Delhi and Islamabad following Operation Sindoor. Indian officials have consistently maintained that no third-party involvement influenced the cessation of hostilities.
The Distinguished Action Award is considered one of the National Security Council’s highest internal honors, granted for exceptional contributions toward advancing US national security priorities. According to US media reports quoting officials, Gill’s recognition was linked to his work on internal strategy and diplomatic engagement connected to the ceasefire framework between India and Pakistan.
Gill was born in Lodi, New Jersey, to Jasbir and Param Gill. His academic background includes a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, followed by a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. His early political ambitions included two unsuccessful bids for the US Congress from California, first in 2011 and again in 2015 after district realignment.
During the first Trump administration, Gill served as Director for Russia and European Energy Security at the National Security Council. He also held a senior advisory role at the US State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations. At present, he oversees policy portfolios covering India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and broader South and Central Asia.
Since May 10, President Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States brokered a “full and immediate” ceasefire between India and Pakistan, making the assertion more than seventy times in public remarks and meetings with foreign leaders. These statements have been firmly countered by New Delhi.
India has maintained that the understanding to halt military actions was reached directly between the two countries after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations contacted his Indian counterpart. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also informed Parliament that no external leader requested India to stop Operation Sindoor, reinforcing the government’s stance on strategic autonomy.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, targeting terror infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. After four days of intense drone and missile exchanges, both sides reached an understanding on May 10 to end hostilities.
