Gallantry Awards

• 29 Jan 2024

On the 75^th Republic Day, the President of India approved Gallantry awards to 80 Armed Forces and security forces personnel, 12 of which were awarded posthumously.

• Gallantry Awards have been instituted by the Government of India to honour the acts of bravery and sacrifice of the officers/personnel of the Armed Forces, other lawfully constituted Forces and civilians.
• Post-independence, the first three gallantry awards namely Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra were instituted by the Government of India on 26th January 1950 and were deemed to have effect from the 15th August 1947.
  • After that, other three gallantry awards i.e. Ashoka Chakra Class-I, Ashoka Chakra Class-II and Ashoka Chakra Class-III were instituted by the Government of India on 4^th January, 1952, which were deemed to have effect from the 15th August, 1947.
    • These awards were renamed as Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra respectively in January, 1967.
• 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 awards are categorized into two types:
  • Wartime Gallantry Awards
    • These awards are given for bravery in the face of the enemy.
  • Peacetime Gallantry Awards
    • These awards are given for bravery other than in the face of the enemy.

• Order of precedence of these awards is the Param Vir Chakra, the Ashoka Chakra, the Mahavir Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, the Vir Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra.

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