Gallantry Awards

In Context

• Recently, the President of India conferred Gallantry awards to the personnel for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty.

About

• Gallantry Awards have been instituted by the Government of India to honour the acts of bravery and sacrifices of the officers/personnel of the Armed Forces, other lawfully constituted forces and civilians.
• The gallantry awards are announced twice a year; first on the occasion of Republic Day and secondly, on the occasion of Independence Day.

Types of Gallantry awards

• Gallantry Awards are classified into two categories:

• Gallantry in the Face of Enemy

• Param Vir Chakra (PVC)
• Mahavir Chakra (MVC)
• Vir Chakra

• Gallantry Other than in the Face of Enemy

• Ashok Chakra
• Kirti Chakra
• Shaurya Chakra

History of Gallantry awards

• After independence, first, three gallantry awards namely the Param Vir Chakra, the Maha Vir Chakra and the Vir Chakra were instituted by the Government of India on 26th January 1950 which were deemed to have effect from the 15th August 1947.
• Subsequently, other three gallantry awards i.e. the Ashoka Chakra Class-I, the Ashoka Chakra Class-II and the Ashoka Chakra Class-III were instituted by the Government of India on 4th January 1952, which were deemed to have effect from the 15th August 1947. 
• These awards were renamed the Ashoka Chakra, the Kirti Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra respectively in January 1967.
• All the gallantry awards may be awarded posthumously.

Order of precedence

• Param Vir Chakra
• Ashoka Chakra
• Mahavir Chakra
• Kirti Chakra
• Vir Chakra
• Shaurya Chakra.
• Description of the awards
• Param Vir Chakra

Eligibility

The Param Vir Chakra, The Maha Vir Chakra & The Vir Chakra

• The following categories of persons shall be eligible for the above three:
  • Officers and men and women 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.
• Conditions of Eligibility:
  • The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for the 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.
  • The Maha Vir Chakra is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy whether on land, at sea or in the air.
  • The Vir Chakra is awarded for acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land or at sea or in the air.

The Ashoka Chakra, The Kirti Chakra & Shaurya Chakra

• The following categories of persons shall be eligible for the above three:
  • Officers and men and women of all ranks of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, of any of the Reserve Forces, of the Territorial Army, Militia and of any other lawfully constituted forces.
  • Members of the Nursing Services of the Armed Forces.
  • Civilian citizens of either sex in all walks of life and members of Police Forces including Central Para-Military Forces and Railway Protection Force.
• Conditions of Eligibility:
  • The Ashoka Chakra is awarded for most conspicuous bravery or some act of daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice otherwise than in the face of the enemy.
  • The Kirti Chakra is awarded for conspicuous gallantry other than in the face of the enemy.
  • The Shaurya Chakra is awarded for gallantry other than in the face of the enemy.

Selection process

• The Ministry of Defence invites recommendations twice in a year from the Armed Forces and Union Ministry of Home Affairs for gallantry awards.
• Recommendations are invited normally in the month of August for the awards to be announced on the occasion of the Republic Day and in the month of March for the awards to be announced on the occasion of the Independence Day.
• For members of the Armed Forces:
  • In respect of the Armed Forces, a case for the gallantry award is initiated by the Unit and if found fit the same is forwarded to respective Services Headquarters duly recommended by Commanders in the chain, immediately after the act of gallantry is performed.
• All such proposals are then considered by the Awards Committee at Services Headquarters before recommending the proposals to the Ministry of Defence with the approval of the respective Chiefs.
• For civilians: 
• Recommendations are received from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• MHA calls for recommendations from all State/UT Governments, Central Ministries/ Departments, Central Armed Police Forces and Railway Protection Force etc.

Source: PIB