Param Vir Chakra
| Param Vir Chakra | |
|---|---|
  Param Vir Chakra and its ribbon, the highest military decoration of India | |
Awarded by  India | |
| Country | India |
| Type | Medal |
| Eligibility | Officers, 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 Armed Forces.[1][2][3] |
| 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.[1][2][3] |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Post-nominals | PVC[4] |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 26 January 1950[5] |
| First awarded | 3 November 1947 |
| Last awarded | 6 July 1999 |
| Total awarded | 21[5][6][4] |
| Posthumous awards | 14[5][4] |
| Distinct recipients | 21[5][4] |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Bharat Ratna[7] |
| Next (lower) | Ashoka Chakra[7] |
.jpg) The three living recipients of the Param Vir Chakra Award:[6] Yogendra Singh Yadav, Bana Singh and Sanjay Kumar | |
The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. The medal has been awarded 21 times, 14 of which were posthumous awards.[5][8][4]
Literally Param Vir Chakra means "Wheel (or Cross) of the Ultimate Brave", it is equal to the Medal of Honor in the United States and the Victoria Cross in the United Kingdom.[9]
Instituted on 26 January 1950, by the President of India,[5][4] with effect from 15 August 1947,[4] this award can also be awarded posthumously.[5] Officers or enlisted personnel from all branches of the Indian Armed Forces are eligible for the award.[5] Recipients of the decoration have the right to use PVC as a postnominal abbreviation.[4]
There is a provision for the award of a bar for a second (or subsequent) awards of the Param Vir Chakra, with a replica of the Vajra, the weapon of Indra, the god of heaven. However, no one has received it to date.[4]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "PARAM VIR CHAKRA". Indian Army. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "HONOURS & AWARDS". Indian Air Force. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Param Vir Chakra". Indian Navy. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 "11 Facts You Need To Know About The Param Vir Chakra". India Times. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Cardozo, (Major General) Ian (2003). Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle. Roli Books Private Limited. ISBN 9789351940296. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Amar Chitra Katha's new comic honours 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees". The Indian Express. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Precedence Of Medals". Indian Army. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ↑ "Param Vir Chakra". BHARAT RAKSHAK. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ↑ "Param Vir Chakra (PVC)". National Portal of India. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2016.