Param Vir Chakra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Param Vir Chakra
Param Vir Chakra and its ribbon
Country	India
Type	Military award
Status	Active
Post-nominals	PVC
Statistics
Established	26 January 1950; 75 years ago (26 January 1950)
Precedence
Next (higher)	Bharat Ratna
Equivalent	Ashoka Chakra
Next (lower)	Padma Vibhushan

The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest award for soldiers. It is given for showing amazing bravery during wartime. The name "Param Vir Chakra" means "Supreme Wheel of Bravery". It is awarded for "most noticeable bravery when facing the enemy".

As of January 2018, the medal has been given 21 times. Out of these, 14 were given after the person had passed away. Also, 16 awards were for actions during conflicts between India and Pakistan. Most of the 21 awardees (20 of them) were from the Indian Army. One awardee was from the Indian Air Force. Major Somnath Sharma was the very first person to receive this award. Many state governments and central government departments in India give money and rewards to PVC winners or their families.

India's current awards for bravery started after India became independent. Before that, awards like the Order of Merit were given by the East India Company. Later, British awards like the Victoria Cross were used. After India gained independence, new Indian awards were created on 26 January 1950. These new awards counted for brave acts done since 15 August 1947. The PVC is similar to the Victoria Cross in the United Kingdom and the Medal of Honor in the United States.

What is the Param Vir Chakra?

The Param Vir Chakra is India's top military award for bravery. It is given to soldiers, sailors, and airmen who show incredible courage. This courage must be shown while facing the enemy during a war.

How the Param Vir Chakra Started

The idea for modern Indian bravery awards began with the East India Company. Gold medals were first given to Indian officers in 1795. The Indian Order of Merit was created in 1834. This award was very important until the British Victoria Cross was also given to Indians in 1911.

During the First World War, the British awards system grew. It included awards for different ranks of soldiers. This system continued through the Second World War.

After India became independent, the British award system ended. Soon after, Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to create Indian awards. This was for brave acts during the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian leaders felt it was important to have their own awards. So, in June 1948, they decided to create three new awards. These were the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), and Vir Chakra (VrC). The PVC is the highest, followed by the MVC and VrC.

Nehru asked Major General Hira Lal Atal to make the PVC happen. He then asked Savitri Khanolkar to design the medal. Interestingly, the first PVC was given to Major Somnath Sharma. He was the brother-in-law of Savitri Khanolkar's daughter.

India was still a "dominion" of the United Kingdom at that time. This meant the awards needed approval from the British Crown. But getting this approval was taking too long. So, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, the Governor-General, suggested waiting. He said it would be best to announce the awards on 26 January 1950. This was when India would become a republic. The awards would then count for brave acts from 15 August 1947.

So, on 26 January 1950, the PVC was officially created by Rajendra Prasad, India's first President of India. It was effective from 15 August 1947. If someone received a second PVC, they would get a special bar on their medal. This bar would look like a vajra, the weapon of Indra, the god of heaven. So far, no one has received a second PVC. People who get the PVC can use "PVC" after their name.

Rules for the Param Vir Chakra

The rules for the Param Vir Chakra were set on 26 January 1950. Here are some of the main points:

• The award is a medal called the Param Vir Chakra.
• The medal is round and made of bronze. It is about 35 mm (1.375 inches) wide.
• On the front, it has four copies of Indra's vajra (a special club). The National Emblem of India is in the middle.
• On the back, it says "Param Vir Chakra" in both Hindi and English. There are two lotus flowers between the words.
• The medal hangs from a purple ribbon, about 32 mm (1.25 inches) wide. If only the ribbon is worn, a small vajra is placed on it.
• The Chakra is given for amazing bravery, daring acts, or great self-sacrifice. This must happen when facing the enemy on land, at sea, or in the air.
• The Chakra can also be given after someone has passed away.
• The President of India gives out the award.
• The names of the winners are published in The Gazette of India.
• Soldiers, sailors, airmen, and even some civilians working with the armed forces can receive it.
• If a winner performs another brave act worthy of the Chakra, they get an extra bar on their medal. Each bar also has a small vajra on the ribbon.
• Winners who are junior officers or lower ranks get a special pension. If they pass away, their spouse or parents receive the pension.
• The Param Vir Chakra is the highest award of all.

What the Param Vir Chakra Looks Like

PVC medal on 1976 stamp of India

The medal's name means "Wheel of the Ultimate Brave". It is a round bronze medal, about 35 millimeters (1.375 inches) across.

On the front side, you can see the National Emblem of India in the middle. Around it are four copies of the vajra. The vajra is the weapon of Indra, who was a king of the gods in ancient Indian stories. This design reminds us of Rishi Dadhichi. He was a wise man who gave his bones to the gods to make the vajra. This helped them defeat a powerful demon.

The medal hangs from a straight bar. On the back side, the words "Param Vir Chakra" are written in Hindi and English. Two lotus flowers separate these words. A purple ribbon, 32 millimeters (1.25 inches) long, holds the medal.

Who Has Received the Param Vir Chakra?

The three living recipients of the Param Vir Chakra: Yogendra Singh Yadav, Bana Singh, and Sanjay Kumar

The PVC has been awarded 21 times. Most of these (14) were given after the person had passed away. Also, 16 awards were for actions during conflicts between India and Pakistan. Out of the 21 winners, 20 were from the Indian Army. One was from the Indian Air Force.

The The Grenadiers regiment has received the most Param Vir Chakras, with three awards. The Gorkha Rifle regiments have also received three awards in total.

As of January 2018, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon is the only Indian Air Force officer to receive the medal. He was awarded it after he passed away in 1971. The only living recipients of the award are Subedar Major Bana Singh, Subedar Sanjay Kumar, and Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav.

      This along with the *, means the Param Vir Chakra was given after the person had passed away.

** Rank means the rank the person held when they received the award.

Busts of recipients	Name	Rank**	Unit	Date of action	Conflict	Place of action	Citations
	Somnath Sharma	Major	Kumaon Regiment	3 November 1947*	Battle of Badgam	Badgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India
	Jadunath Singh	Naik	Rajput Regiment	6 February 1948*	Indo-Pakistani War of 1947	Naushera, Jammu and Kashmir, India
	Rama Raghoba Rane	Second Lieutenant	Bombay Sappers	8 April 1948	Indo-Pakistani War of 1947	Naushera, Jammu and Kashmir, India
	Piru Singh	Company Havildar Major	Rajputana Rifles	17 July 1948*	Indo-Pakistani War of 1947	Tithwal, Jammu and Kashmir, India
	Karam Singh	Lance Naik	Sikh Regiment	13 October 1948	Indo-Pakistani War of 1947	Tithwal, Jammu and Kashmir, India
	Gurbachan Singh Salaria	Captain	1 Gorkha Rifles	5 December 1961*	Congo Crisis	Élisabethville, Katanga, Congo
	Dhan Singh Thapa	Major	8 Gorkha Rifles	20 October 1962	Sino-Indian War	Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India
	Joginder Singh	Subedar	Sikh Regiment	23 October 1962*	Sino-Indian War	Tongpen La, North-East Frontier Agency, India
	Shaitan Singh	Major	Kumaon Regiment	18 November 1962*	Sino-Indian War	Rezang La, Jammu and Kashmir, India
	Abdul Hamid	Company Quarter Master Havildar	The Grenadiers	10 September 1965*	Battle of Asal Uttar	Khemkaran, India
	Ardeshir Tarapore	Lieutenant Colonel	Poona Horse	11 September 1965*	Battle of Chawinda	Phillora, Sialkot, Pakistan
	Albert Ekka	Lance Naik	Brigade of the Guards	3 December 1971*	Battle of Hilli	Gangasagar, Agartala, India
	Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon	Flying Officer	No. 18 Squadron IAF	14 December 1971*	Indo-Pakistani War of 1971	Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
	Arun Khetarpal	Second Lieutenant	Poona Horse	16 December 1971*	Battle of Basantar	Barapind-Jarpal, Shakargarh, Pakistan
	Hoshiar Singh Dahiya	Major	The Grenadiers	17 December 1971	Battle of Basantar	Basantar River, Shakargarh, Pakistan
	Bana Singh	Naib Subedar	Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry	23 May 1987	Operation Rajiv	Siachen Glacier, Jammu and Kashmir, India
	Ramaswamy Parameshwaran	Major	Mahar Regiment	25 November 1987*	Operation Pawan	Sri Lanka
	Manoj Kumar Pandey	Lieutenant	11 Gorkha Rifles	3 July 1999*	Kargil War	Khaluber /Juber Top, Jammu and Kashmir, India
	Yogendra Singh Yadav	Grenadier	The Grenadiers	4 July 1999	Battle of Tiger Hill	Tiger Hill, Jammu and Kashmir, India
	Sanjay Kumar	Rifleman	Jammu and Kashmir Rifles	5 July 1999	Kargil War	Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir, India
	Vikram Batra	Captain	Jammu and Kashmir Rifles	7 July 1999*	Operation Vijay	Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Money and Rewards for Winners

Winners of the PVC who are junior officers or lower ranks also receive money. In some cases, there's a cash award. If the winner passes away, their spouse receives a pension until they pass away or remarry. If a winner who passed away was not married, their parents receive the money.

Winners get a monthly payment of ₹20,000 in addition to their regular salary. This award money and pension are not taxed. Also, different government departments give extra money to PVC winners.

In the Indian Army, it is a tradition for everyone to salute a PVC winner in ceremonial uniform, no matter their rank. This shows great respect for their bravery.

State Government Allowances

Many Indian states give their own special rewards to PVC winners. These amounts are often much higher than the central government's payment.

Memorials and Tributes

Major Somnath Sharma's statue at Param Yodha Sthal, National War Memorial, New Delhi

A special memorial has been built for PVC winners at Marina Park in Port Blair. This is in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It was opened in September 2014.

In May 2017, a campaign called "Vidya Veerta Abhiyan" started. Its goal was to build a "wall of valour" in a thousand schools and colleges across India. The two living PVC winners, Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav and Naib Subedar Sanjay Kumar, started this campaign. These walls are about 4.5 by 6 meters (15 by 20 feet). They show all 21 PVC winners and tell their stories. Students and teachers help to build these walls.

Bronze statues of all 21 PVC winners are placed at the Param Yodha Sthal. This area is part of the National War Memorial in New Delhi. There are also signs that tell about the brave acts of these heroes.

On 23 January 2022, the Indian government honored the PVC winners in a unique way. They named 21 large, unnamed islands in the Andaman Islands after each of the 21 Param Vir Chakra recipients.

See also

• List of highest military decorations by country