Gallantry Awards
Gallantry Awards – India’s Highest Honours for Valour
1. Introduction
- Purpose: Recognise acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy (War) or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield (Peace).
- Announced: Twice a year – Republic Day (26 Jan) and Independence Day (15 Aug).
- Ministry: Ministry of Defence (MoD) – processed through respective Service Headquarters.
2. Categories & Hierarchy
| Order of Precedence | War-Time Gallantry | Peace-Time Gallantry |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Param Vir Chakra (PVC) | Ashoka Chakra (AC) |
| 2 | Mahavir Chakra (MVC) | Kirti Chakra (KC) |
| 3 | Vir Chakra (VrC) | Shaurya Chakra (SC) |
3. War-Time Gallantry Awards – Key Facts
| Award | Established | Eligibility | Motto | Monetary Grant (2024) | Design |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Param Vir Chakra (PVC) | 26 Jan 1950 | All ranks of Army, Navy, Air Force; civilians in certain cases | “For Valour” | ₹ 25 lakh | Purple-bronze, 1-3/8″ dia, State Emblem & Vajra |
| Mahavir Chakra (MVC) | 26 Jan 1950 | -do- | - | ₹ 20 lakh | Silver, 1-3/8″ dia, five-pointed star |
| Vir Chakra (VrC) | 26 Jan 1950 | -do- | - | ₹ 15 lakh | Bronze, 1-3/8″ dia, same star pattern |
4. Peace-Time Gallantry Awards – Key Facts
| Award | Established | Eligibility | Monetary Grant (2024) | Design |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashoka Chakra (AC) | 4 Jan 1952 (retro-effective 15 Aug 1947) | All ranks + civilians | ₹ 30 lakh | Green silk ribbon, 1-3/8″ dia silver medallion |
| Kirti Chakra (KC) | 4 Jan 1952 | -do- | ₹ 20 lakh | Same as AC but ribbon 3 equal stripes (green-saffron-green) |
| Shaurya Chakra (SC) | 4 Jan 1952 | -do- | ₹ 15 lakh | Bronze, ribbon green with saffron edges |
5. Important Dates to Remember
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 15 Aug 1947 | First awards (AC, KC, SC) deemed to have effect |
| 26 Jan 1950 | PVC, MVC, VrC instituted (Constitution Day of India) |
| 4 Jan 1952 | Ashoka Chakra series formally notified |
| 1950-2024 | Total PVCs awarded: 21 (20 posthumous) |
| 1950-2024 | Total Ashoka Chakras: 90 (68 posthumous) |
6. First & Unique Recipients
| Honour | First Recipient | Operation/Battle |
|---|---|---|
| PVC | Major Somnath Sharma | Battle of Badgam, 1947 Indo-Pak War |
| MVC | Brigadier K. M. Cariappa (later Field Marshal) | 1948 |
| Ashoka Chakra | Flying Officer Suhas Biswas | 1952 (posthumous) |
| First PVC living | Major (later Lt Gen) Yogendra Singh Yadav | Tiger Hill, Kargil 1999 |
| Only PVC to Air Force | Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon | 1971 Indo-Pak War |
7. Women Recipients
| Name | Award | Year | Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neerja Bhanot | Ashoka Chakra | 1987 (posthumous) | Pan-Am crew (civilian) |
8. Quick-Reference Table – Total Awards (1950-2024)
| Award | Total | Posthumous | Living | Last awarded (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PVC | 21 | 20 | 1* | 2024 (posthumous) |
| MVC | 218 | 153 | 65 | 2021 |
| VrC | 1,322 | 567 | 755 | 2024 |
| AC | 90 | 68 | 22 | 2024 |
| KC | 496 | 215 | 281 | 2024 |
| SC | 2,047 | 791 | 1,256 | 2024 |
* Subedar Sanjay Kumar (1999) and Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav (1999) are the only two living PVC holders.
9. One-Liner Revision Facts
- PVC: India’s equivalent of Victoria Cross (UK) & Medal of Honour (USA).
- PVC designed by Savitri Khanolkar (wife of an Indian Army officer).
- PVC ribbon: plain purple/dark maroon.
- Maximum PVCs in one conflict: 4 (Kargil 1999).
- Only father-son duo to get MVC: General (then Capt) K. S. Thimayya & his son.
- Ashoka Chakra can be awarded to foreigners serving under Indian command.
- Gallantry awards can be forfeited under Article 18 of the Constitution (rarely invoked).
- From 2020, next-of-kin also receive a digital PVC/MVC/VrC certificate via DigiLocker.
- Monetary allowance is exempt from Income-Tax under Section 10(18).
MCQs for Railway Exams
Q1. The highest peace-time gallantry award of India is:
A) Param Vir Chakra
B) Mahavir Chakra
C) Ashoka Chakra
D) Kirti Chakra
Answer: C
Q2. Param Vir Chakra was established on:
A) 15 Aug 1947
B) 26 Jan 1950
C) 4 Jan 1952
D) 26 Jan 1952
Answer: B
Q3. Who designed the Param Vir Chakra medal?
A) Le Corbusier
B) Savitri Khanolkar
C) Nandalal Bose
D) Lata Mangeshkar
Answer: B
Q4. The colour of PVC ribbon is:
A) Green
B) Saffron
C) Purple/Maroon
D) White
Answer: C
Q5. First PVC recipient of Indo-Pak 1947 war was:
A) Lt Arun Khetarpal
B) Major Somnath Sharma
C) Capt Vikram Batra
D) Subedar Sanjay Kumar
Answer: B
Q6. Which award is given for gallantry away from the battlefield?
A) Vir Chakra
B) Shaurya Chakra
C) Sena Medal
D) Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal
Answer: B
Q7. Total number of PVCs awarded till 2024 is:
A) 18
B) 20
C) 21
D) 25
Answer: C
Q8. Which of the following is a war-time award?
A) Ashoka Chakra
B) Kirti Chakra
C) Shaurya Chakra
D) Vir Chakra
Answer: D
Q9. The monetary allowance for PVC winner (2024) is:
A) ₹ 10 lakh
B) ₹ 20 lakh
C) ₹ 25 lakh
D) ₹ 30 lakh
Answer: C
Q10. Who was the first woman Ashoka Chakra recipient?
A) Kiran Bedi
B) Neerja Bhanot
C) Avani Chaturvedi
D) Priya Jhingan
Answer: B
Q11. The only PVC awarded to IAF is for:
A) Sqn Ldr R. H. Tahiliani
B) Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman
C) Flt Lt Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon
D) Air Chief Marshal P. C. Lal
Answer: C
Q12. Kargil War 1999 saw how many PVCs?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5
Answer: C
Q13. Which statement is NOT true about gallantry awards?
A) Can be awarded posthumously
B) Civilians are not eligible
C) Announced twice a year
D) Forfeiture possible
Answer: B
Q14. The Ashoka Chakra series was instituted by:
A) Governor-General
B) President of India notification 1952
C) Parliament Act 1949
D) Cabinet resolution 1947
Answer: B
Q15. Match the award with its monetary grant (2024):
- PVC – A) ₹ 30 lakh
- AC – B) ₹ 25 lakh
- SC – C) ₹ 15 lakh
Correct match:
A) 1-B, 2-A, 3-C
B) 1-A, 2-B, 3-C
C) 1-B, 2-C, 3-A
D) 1-C, 2-B, 3-A
Answer: A
Q16. The motto “For Valour” is associated with:
A) MVC
B) PVC
C) AC
D) KC
Answer: B
Q17. Which of the following is the correct hierarchy (highest to lowest) for peace-time awards?
A) KC → AC → SC
B) AC → KC → SC
C) SC → KC → AC
D) AC → SC → KC
Answer: B
Q18. Gallantry allowance is exempt from income tax under section:
A) 10(10D)
B) 80C
C) 10(18)
D) 80G
Answer: C
Q19. The last living PVC recipient Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav was from regiment:
A) 18 Grenadiers
B) 13 JAK Rifles
C) 1 Bihar
D) 17 Horse
Answer: A
Q20. In which year were digital gallantry certificates first issued via DigiLocker?
A) 2018
B) 2019
C) 2020
D) 2021
Answer: C
All the best for your railway exams!
BETA
