Context: 

On the eve of the 75th Republic Day, the President of India approved Gallantry awards to 80 Armed Forces personnel, including 12 posthumously. 

About Gallantry Awards 2024

• The awards included six Kirti Chakras, including three posthumous awards; 16 Shaurya Chakras, including two posthumous; 53 Sena Medals, including seven posthumous; one Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) and four Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry). 
• The President also approved 311 defence decorations to armed forces and other personnel.
• These include 31 Param Vishisht Seva Medals (PVSM); four Uttam Yudh Seva Medals (UYSM); 61 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals; 10 Yudh Seva Medals; 46 Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty); 10 Nao Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty); 14 Vayu Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty) and 135 Vishisht Seva Medals.

About Gallantry Awards 

• About: These have been instituted by the Government of India to honor 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 – on the occasion of Republic Day and Independence Day.

Categories of Gallantry Awards

• Wartime Gallantry Awards/Gallantry in the Face of Enemy: It includes following Awards: 
  • Param Vir Chakra (PVC): It is India’s highest military decoration, awarded for displaying distinguished acts of valour during wartime. 
  • Mahavir Chakra (MVC): It is awarded for acts of conspicuous  gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. The medal may be awarded posthumously.
  • Vir Chakra: It is an Indian gallantry award presented for acts of bravery in the battlefield. 
• Peacetime gallantry awards/Gallantry Other than in the Face of Enemy: It includes following Awards: 
  • Ashok Chakra: It is India’s highest peacetime military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. 
    • It is the peacetime equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra.
  • Kirti Chakra: It is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. 
    • It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Maha Vir Chakra. 
  • Shaurya Chakra: It is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not directly engaging with the enemy. It may be awarded to civilians and military personnel, sometimes posthumously. 

Order of Precedence: The Param Vir Chakra, the Ashoka Chakra, the Mahavir Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, the Vir Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra.

Service Awards

• Sena Medal: It is awarded to members of the Indian army, of all ranks, “for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as having special significance for the Army.”
  • Awards may be made posthumously and a bar is authorised for subsequent awards of the Sena Medal.
• Nao Sena Medal: It is a gallantry award for servicemen in the Indian Navy. 
• Vayusena Medal: It is an Indian military decoration, usually awarded in peacetime for a job well done. 
  • However it has been granted during times of conflict for acts of gallantry in the face of the enemy, though not in the same numbers as the Vir Chakra.
  • Posthumous awards may be made and a bar is authorised for subsequent awards of the Vayu Sena Medal.

Wartime Distinguished Service

• Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal

• • It is India’s highest Wartime Distinguished Service decoration. It is awarded for the highest degree of distinguished services in an operational context. 
    • “Operation context” includes times of war, conflict, or hostilities. The award is a wartime equivalent of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, which is the highest Peacetime Distinguished Service decoration of the country. 
    • Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal may be awarded posthumously.

• Uttam Yudh Seva Medal

  • It is one of India’s military decorations for Wartime Distinguished Service. 
  • It is awarded for a high degree of distinguished services in an operational context. Uttam Yudh Seva Medal may be awarded posthumously.

• Yudh Seva Medal

  • It is one of India’s military decorations for distinguished service during wartime. It is awarded for a high degree of distinguished service in an operational context.
  • The award is the wartime equivalent of the Vishisht Seva Medal, which is a peacetime distinguished service decoration.

Peacetime Distinguished Service

• Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM): It is a military award of India awarded in recognition to peace-time service of the most exceptional order and may be awarded posthumously. 
• All ranks of the Indian Armed Forces including Territorial Army, Auxiliary and Reserve Forces, Nursing officers and other members of the Nursing services and other lawfully constituted Armed Forces are eligible for the award.
• Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM): It is a military award of India given to recognize “distinguished service of an exceptional order” to all ranks of the armed forces.
  • The award can also be granted posthumously. Subsequent awards are represented by a bar worn on the ribbon. The awardee can use “AVSM” as post-nominal letters.
• Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM): It is a decoration of the Indian Armed forces. It is awarded to recognize “distinguished service of an exceptional order” to all ranks of the Indian armed forces. 
• The award may be granted posthumously and subsequent awards are represented by a bar worn on the ribbon. The award carries with it the right to use “VSM” as post-nominal letters. 

News Source: PIB

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