Gallantry Awards

• Param Veer Chakra

The Param Veer Chakra is awarded for most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea, or in the air.

Following categories of persons are eligible for the Param Veer Chakra:

a. Men and women officers of all ranks of the Naval, Military and Air Forces, of any of the Reserve Forces, of the Territorial Army, Militia and of any other lawfully constituted Armed Forces.

b. Matrons, Sisters, Nurses and the Staff of the Nursing Services and other Services pertaining to Hospitals and Nursing, and Civilians of either sex serving regularly or temporarily under the orders, directions or supervision of any of the above-mentioned Forces.

The PVC isequivalent to the Medal of Honor in the United States and the Victoria Cross in the United Kingdom

History of the Highest Gallantry Award- Param Veer Chakra

The medal was designed by Mrs. Savitri Khanolankar (born Eva Yuonne Linda Maday-de-Maros to a Hungarian father and Russian mother), who was married to an Indian Army officer. By sheer coincidence, the first PVC was posthumously awarded to her son-in-law, Major Somnath Sharma for his bravery in the Kashmir operations in November 1947.

The medal symbolises great sage, Dadhichi, who, according to the Indian mythology, donated his thigh bones to GODs for making Vajra and Shivaji’s sword, Bhawani.

The medal is of 1-3/8 inch radius and is made of bronze. In the centre, on a raised circle is the State emblem, surrounding which are the four replicas of Indra’s Vajra. The decoration is suspended from a straight swivelling suspension bar. On the rear, around a plain centre, two legends separated by lotus flowers, the words ‘Param Veer Chakra’ are written in Hindi and English.

The ribbon which holds the Param Veer Chakra is of 32 mm length and purple in colour. The award carries a cash allowance for those under the rank of Second Lieutenant (or the appropriate service equivalent) and, in some cases, a lump-sum cash award.

• Maha Veer Chakra

The Maha Veer Chakra is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy whether on land, at sea or in the air. 

Following categories of persons are eligible for the Maha Veer Chakra:

a. Men and women officers of all ranks of the Naval, Military and Air Forces, of any of the Reserve Forces, of the Territorial Army, Militia and of any other lawfully constituted Armed Forces.

b. Matrons, Sisters, Nurses and the Staff of the Nursing Services and other Services pertaining to Hospitals and Nursing, and Civilians of either sex serving regularly or temporarily under the orders, directions or supervision of any of the above-mentioned Forces.

Provision was made for the award of a bar for a second award of the Maha Veer Chakra, the first two being awarded in 1965. More than 218 acts of bravery and selfless courage have been recognized since the inception of the medal. The most Maha Veer Chakras awarded in a single conflict was in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, when eleven MVC were given to the Indian Air Force.

The medal is made of standard silver and is circular in shape. Embossed on the obverse is a five pointed heraldic star with circular center-piece bearing the gilded state emblem of India in the centre. The words “Maha Veer Chakra” are embossed in Devanagari and English on the reverse with two lotus flowers in the middle. The decoration is worn on the left chest with a half-white and half-orange riband about 3.2 cm in width, the orange being near the left shoulder.

• Veer Chakra

Veer Chakra is an Indian gallantry award presented for acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy on the battlefield. It replaced the British Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), Military Cross (MC) and Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). Award. 

Bar: If any recipient of the Chakra shall again perform such an act of bravery as would have made him or her eligible to receive the Chakra, such further act of bravery shall be recorded by a Bar to be attached to the riband by which the Chakra is suspended, and for every such additional act of bravery, an additional Bar shall be added, and any such Bar or Bars may also be awarded posthumously. For every Bar awarded a replica of the Chakra in miniature shall be added to the riband when worn alone.

Medal: Circular in shape and of standard silver, one and three eighth inches in diameter, and shall have embossed on the obverse a five-pointed heraldic star with the points of the star just touching the rim. The star shall have in the centre a Chakra and within the Chakra shall be a domed centre piece bearing the gilded State Emblem. On the reverse, it shall have embossed “VIR CHAKRA” both in Hindi and in English with two lotus flowers between the Hindi and the English inscriptions

Ribbon: The ribbon is of half blue and half orange in colour.

• Shaurya Chakra

The Shaurya Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, sometimes posthumously.

Bar: If a recipient of the Chakra shall again perform such an act of gallantry as would have made him or her eligible to receive the Chakra, such further act of gallantry shall be recognised by a Bar to be attached to the riband by which the Chakra is suspended and, for every subsequent act of gallantry, an additional Bar shall be added and such Bar or Bars may also be awarded posthumously. For every such Bar, a replica of the Chakra in miniature shall be added to the riband when worn alone.

Medal: Circular in shape and made of bronze, one and three-eighth inches in diameter, with rims on both sides. On the obverse of the medal shall be embossed a replica of Ashoka’s Chakra in the centre, surrounded by a lotus wreath. Along the rim, on the inner side, shall be a pattern of lotus leaves, flowers and buds. On its reverse shall be embossed the words “SHAURYA CHAKRA” both in Hindi and English, the two versions being separated by two lotus flowers.

Ribbon: Green colour ribbon divided into four equal parts by three vertical lines.

• Ashok Chakra

India’s highest peacetime military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield is Ashok Chakra. 

Bar: If a recipient of the Chakra shall again perform such an act of gallantry as would have made him or her

eligible to receive the Chakra, such further act of gallantry shall be recognised by a Bar to be attached to the riband by which the Chakra is suspended and, for every subsequent act of gallantry, an additional Bar shall be added and any such Bar or Bars may also be awarded posthumously. For every Bar awarded a replica of the Chakra in miniature shall be added to the riband when worn alone.

Medal: Circular in shape, one and three eighth inches in diameter, with rims on both sides. The medal shall be of gold gild. On the obverse of the medal shall be embossed a replica of Ashok Chakra’s in the centre, surrounded by a lotus wreath. Along the rim, on the inner side, shall be a pattern of lotus leaves, flowers and buds. On its reverse shall be embossed the words “Ashok Chakra” both in Hindi and English the two versions being separated by two lotus flowers..

Ribbon: Green colour ribbon divided into two equal segments by an orange vertical line.

• Kirti Chakra

The Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Maha Veer Chakra.

Bar: If a recipient of the Chakra shall again perform such an act of gallantry as would have made him or her eligible to receive the Chakra, such further act of gallantry shall be recognised by a Bar to be attached to the riband by which the Chakra is suspended and, for every subsequent act of gallantry, an additional Bar shall be added and such Bar or Bars may also be awarded posthumously. For every such Bar, a replica of the Chakra in miniature shall be added to the riband when worn alone.

Medal: Circular in shape and of standard silver, one and three-eighths inches in diameter, with rims on both sides. On the obverse of the medal shall be embossed a replica of Ashoka’s Chakra in the centre, surrounded by a lotus wreath. Along the rim, on the inner side, shall be a pattern of lotus leaves, flowers and buds. On its reverse shall be embossed the words “KIRTI CHAKRA” both in Hindi and English, the two versions being separated by two lotus flowers.

Ribbon: Green colour ribbon divided into three equal parts by two orange vertical lines.

• Bravery Awards

The National Bravery Awards are a set of awards given annually to about 25 Indian children below 16 years of age for “meritorious acts of bravery against all odds.” The awards are given by the Government of India and the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW).[1] The award was instituted in 1957

History

On Gandhi Jayanti day, 2 October, 1957, India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, was watching a performance at Delhi’s Ramlila ground, at the Red Fort. During the performance, a short circuit caused a fire to break out in a shamiana (decorated tent). Harish Chandra Mehra, a 14-year-old scout, promptly took out his knife and ripped open the burning tent, saving the lives of hundreds of trapped people. This incident inspired Nehru to ask the authorities to establish an award to honour brave children from all over the country. The first official National Bravery Awards were presented to Harish Chandra and one other child on 4 February 1958, by Prime Minister Nehru,.

The award includes a medal, a certificate and a cash award, the Bharat Award winner gets a gold medal, while the rest get a silver medal. Further they are also given financial assistance to complete their schooling, as a part of ICCW’s sponsorship programme and professional courses such as medical and engineering, under the Indira Gandhi scholarship scheme.

In 2009, the Government of India announced reservation of some seats in Medical and Engineering Colleges and Polytechnics for the winners of the award.

• Police Medal

The Police Medal is a decoration award that is awarded to members of law enforcement in India. Established 1 March 1951, the medal was created to replace the Indian Police Medal. The medal is awarded for either gallantry or distinguished service, with the gallantry version of the medal being accorded a higher precedence. The medal is awarded annually on Republic Day and Independence Day.