🏆 Chapter 04 · Topic 03 · National Awards

Gallantry Awards

Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra (wartime) and Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra (peacetime) — complete notes.

⚔️ Gallantry Awards — Overview

India has two sets of gallantry awards — one for wartime bravery and one for peacetime bravery:

Award	Category	Rank	Criteria
Param Vir Chakra (PVC)	Wartime	1st (highest)	Most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy
Maha Vir Chakra (MVC)	Wartime	2nd	Acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy
Vir Chakra (VC)	Wartime	3rd	Acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy
Ashoka Chakra (AC)	Peacetime	1st (highest)	Most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice otherwise than in the face of the enemy
Kirti Chakra (KC)	Peacetime	2nd	Conspicuous gallantry otherwise than in the face of the enemy
Shaurya Chakra (SC)	Peacetime	3rd	Gallantry otherwise than in the face of the enemy

🏅 Param Vir Chakra — Key Facts

Instituted on 26 January 1950
The medal depicts the Vajra (thunderbolt) of Indra
Designed by Savitri Khanolkar (née Eva Yvonne Linda Maday-de-Maros, a Swiss-born Indian)
First recipient: Major Somnath Sharma (posthumous) — Battle of Badgam, Kashmir (1947)
As of 2024, 21 Param Vir Chakras have been awarded — 14 posthumously
Announced on Republic Day (26 January) and Independence Day (15 August)
Can be awarded to personnel of all three armed forces and paramilitary forces

🏅 Notable Param Vir Chakra Recipients

Recipient	War/Operation	Year
Major Somnath Sharma (posthumous)	Kashmir War 1947	1950
Lance Naik Karam Singh	Kashmir War 1947	1950
2nd Lt. Rama Raghoba Rane	Kashmir War 1947	1950
Nayak Jadunath Singh (posthumous)	Kashmir War 1947	1950
Company Havildar Major Piru Singh (posthumous)	Kashmir War 1947	1950
Capt. G.S. Salaria (posthumous)	Congo (UN operation)	1961
Major Dhan Singh Thapa	Sino-Indian War 1962	1962
Subedar Joginder Singh (posthumous)	Sino-Indian War 1962	1962
Major Shaitan Singh (posthumous)	Sino-Indian War 1962	1962
CQMH Abdul Hamid (posthumous)	Indo-Pak War 1965	1965
Lt. Col. Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore (posthumous)	Indo-Pak War 1965	1965
Lance Naik Albert Ekka (posthumous)	Bangladesh Liberation 1971	1971
Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon (posthumous)	Bangladesh Liberation 1971	1971
2nd Lt. Arun Khetarpal (posthumous)	Bangladesh Liberation 1971	1971
Major Hoshiyar Singh	Bangladesh Liberation 1971	1971
Naib Subedar Bana Singh	Siachen Glacier 1987	1987
Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran (posthumous)	Sri Lanka (IPKF) 1987	1987
Lt. Manoj Kumar Pandey (posthumous)	Kargil War 1999	1999
Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav	Kargil War 1999	1999
Rifleman Sanjay Kumar	Kargil War 1999	1999
Capt. Vikram Batra (posthumous)	Kargil War 1999	1999

⭐ Ashoka Chakra — Peacetime Equivalent: The Ashoka Chakra is the highest peacetime gallantry award, equivalent to the Param Vir Chakra in wartime. It is awarded for bravery in counter-terrorism operations, anti-naxal operations, rescue operations, and other acts of gallantry not in the face of the enemy. Notable recipients include NSG commandos who died in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks (2008) and CRPF personnel killed in anti-naxal operations.

✅ Revision Checklist

✅ Param Vir Chakra = highest wartime gallantry = instituted 26 January 1950
✅ PVC designed by Savitri Khanolkar (Swiss-born Indian)
✅ First PVC = Major Somnath Sharma (posthumous) = Kashmir War 1947
✅ 21 PVCs awarded total = 14 posthumously
✅ Ashoka Chakra = highest peacetime gallantry = equivalent to PVC
✅ Wartime: PVC (1st) → MVC (2nd) → VC (3rd)
✅ Peacetime: AC (1st) → KC (2nd) → SC (3rd)
✅ Kargil War PVC recipients = Vikram Batra + Manoj Kumar Pandey + Yogendra Singh Yadav + Sanjay Kumar