Gallantry Awards 2024

• 09 Jul 2024

For Prelims: Gallantry Awards, Armed Forces

For Mains: Various Security Forces & Agencies & Their Mandate

Source: PIB

Why in News?

Recently, the President of India, presented Gallantry Awards at the Defence Investiture Ceremony-2024 held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

What are the Gallantry Awards?

• About: 
  • Gallantry Awards have been instituted to honour the acts of bravery and sacrifice of the officers/personnel of the Armed Forces, other lawfully constituted Forces and civilians. 
  • These gallantry awards are announced twice in a year, first on the occasion of the Republic Day and then on the occasion of the Independence Day.

  • Gallantry Award in the Face of Enemy:

    • Param Vir Chakra (PVC): It shall have embossed on the obverse four replicas of "Indra's Vajra" with the State Emblem embossed in the centre.
    • Mahavir Chakra (MVC): It shall have embossed on the obverse a five-pointed heraldic star with the points of the star just touching the rim. The star shall have in the centre a domed gilded State Emblem.

    • Vir Chakra: The star will feature a Chakra at its centre, with a domed centerpiece inside the Chakra bearing the gilded State Emblem.Types: 

  • Gallantry Award Other than in the Face of Enemy:

    • In case of Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra the obverse of the medal shall be embossed a replica of respective chakra in the centre, surrounded by a lotus wreath. Along the rim, on the inner side, shall be a pattern of lotus leaves, flowers and buds. 

    • On its reverse shall be embossed the respective words both in Hindi and English the two versions being separated by two lotus flowers.

• Order of precedence of the Award:
  • Param Vir Chakra
  • Ashoka Chakra
  • Mahavir Chakra
  • Kirti Chakra
  • Vir Chakra
  • Shaurya Chakra

What is the Eligibility and Selection Criteria to be Awarded the Gallantary Awards?

• Param Vir Chakra, the Maha Vir Chakra and the Vir Chakra:
  • Personnel of all ranks of the Naval, Military and Air Forces, Reserve Forces, Territorial Army, Militia and of any other lawfully constituted Armed Forces.
  • Matrons, Sisters, Nurses and the Staff of the Nursing Services and other Services pertaining to Hospitals and Nursing, and Civilians serving under the directions of any of the above-mentioned Forces.
  • Conditions of Eligibility: These awards are given for action against the enemy, whether on land, at sea, or in the air.
    • Param Vir Chakra: For most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice.
    • Maha Vir Chakra: For acts of conspicuous gallantry
    • Vir Chakra: For acts of gallantry
• Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra & Shaurya Chakra:
  • 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 and members of Police Forces including Central Para-Military Forces and Railway Protection Force.
  • Conditions of Eligibility: These awards are given for acts in the face of the enemy.
  • Ashoka Chakra: For most conspicuous bravery or some act of daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice
  • Kirti Chakra: For conspicuous gallantry
  • Shaurya Chakra: For gallantry
• Selection process:
  • Ministry of Defence invites recommendations twice in a year from the Armed Forces and Union Ministry of Home Affairs for gallantry awards.
  • In respect of the Armed Forces, a case for the gallantry award is initiated by the Unit recommended by Commanders.
  • Recommendations in respect of civilian citizens (other than Defence personnel) are received from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). 
  • Recommendations received directly from private individuals, including VIP references are not accepted. 
  • In any case, the time limit for considering gallantry awards should not be beyond two calendar years from the date on which the act of gallantry is performed.
  • Recommendations from the Armed Forces and MHA are considered by the Central Honours & Awards Committee (CH&AC) composed of Defence Minister, three Service Chiefs & Defence Secretary.
• Awardee in the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2024:
  • The President awarded 10 Kirti Chakras (7 posthumously) and 26 Shaurya Chakras (7 awarded posthumously).
  • Inspector Dilip Kumar, head constable Raj Kumar Yadava, constable Bablu Rabha and Sambhu Roy of the 210 CoBRA Battalion, CRPF, were posthumously presented the Kirti Chakra for a collective act against the Maoists’ ambush in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur on 3rd April 2021. 
  • Major Vikas Bhambhu and major Mustafa Bohara were posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra. 
    • The two officers had steered their chopper had caught fire, away from human habitation and were killed after crash landing in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)

Prelims:

Q. Consider the following statements in respect of Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards: (2021)

1. Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are titles under the Article 18(1) of the Constitution of India.
2. Padma Awards, which were instituted in the year 1954, were suspended only once.
3. The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of five in a particular year.

Which of the above statements are not correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (d)

Q. Consider the following statements in respect of the Laureus World Sports Award which was instituted in the year 2000: (2021)

1. American golfer Tiger Woods was the first winner of this award.
2. The award was received mostly by ‘Formula One’ players so far.
3. Roger Federer received this award maximum number of times compared to others.

Which of the above statements are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only 

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only 

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (c)