List of Param Vir Chakra recipients
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The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest military decoration awarded for valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy.[1] The medal has been awarded twenty-one times, including fourteen posthumous awards; sixteen were awarded for action in Indo-Pakistani conflicts, and two for action in peacekeeping operations. Twenty recipients were members of the Indian Army, one of the Indian Air Force. Among regiments, The Grenadiers have received the most Param Vir Chakras, with three awards. The various Gorkha Rifle regiments of the Indian Army have also received three awards, with the 1 Gorkha Rifles, 8 Gorkha Rifles and 11 Gorkha Rifles each having one PVC recipient.
Literally meaning "Wheel (or Cross) of the Ultimate Brave",[2] the Param Vir Chakra is comparable to the Medal of Honor in the United States and the Victoria Cross in the United Kingdom.[3] It was established on 26 January 1950 (Republic Day of India), by the President of India, with effect from 15 August 1947 (Independence Day of India).[1][2] It can be awarded to officers or enlisted personnel from all branches of the Indian military.[4]
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Although there is provision for the award to be bestowed multiple times on the one recipient, no instances of this have happened yet. Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously in 1971 was the only Indian Air Force officer to date have been honoured with the Param Vir Chakra. As of November 2016, Naib Subedar Sanjay Kumar and Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav are the only active duty PVC recipients in the Indian Army.[1]
The award carries a cash allowance for those under the rank of lieutenant (or the appropriate service equivalent) and, in some cases, a cash award. On the death of the recipient, the pension is transferred to the widow until her death or remarriage. In the case of a bachelor posthumous recipient, the allowance is paid to his father or mother; and if the PVC is awarded posthumously to a widower, the allowance is paid to his son or unmarried daughter.[5] The award amount and pension benefits are exempted from income tax. Several Central Government ministries also give additional incentives to the recipients. These include a first class /AC 2 tier Complimentary Pass to the awardee along with a companion from the Ministry of Railways, a 75% concession on economy fares by Indian Airlines, and no rental, installation and registration charges for the services by MTNL. In addition, the awardee is exempted from the toll tax by the Ministry of Transport. Many states have established individual pension rewards that far exceed the central government's stipend for recipients of the decoration.[6]
Recipients
This along with the *, indicates that the Param Vir Chakra was awarded posthumously.
Notes
Footnotes
- ↑ Attached to the United Nations Peace Keeping Force stationed in Congo.
- ↑ No. 18 Squadron belongs to the Indian Air Force.
- ↑ Attached to the Indian Peace Keeping Force stationed in Sri Lanka.
Citations
- 1 2 3 "11 Facts You Need To Know About The Param Vir Chakra". Indiatimes. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- 1 2 "Param Vir Chakra (PVC)". India: National Portal of India. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ↑ Priya Aurora (4 September 2016). "7 Facts Average Indian Doesn't Know About Param Vir Chakra". Topyaps. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ↑ "Param Vir Chakra". Indian Army. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, p. 48.
- ↑ "How Do We Reward the Men in Uniform? A Look at the Reward Extended to Gallantry Award Winners". Factly. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 75–76.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Indiatimes News Network (25 January 2008). "Param Vir Chakra Winners Since 1950". Times of India. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Rishabh Banerji (15 August 2015). "21 Param Vir Chakra Winners Every Indian Should Know And Be Proud Of". Indiatimes. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 56–57.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 67–68.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 65–66.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 60–61.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 69–70.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 79–80.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 58–59.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 73–74.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 49–50.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 77–78.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 52–53.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 71–72.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 62–63.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, pp. 54–55.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, p. 51.
- ↑ Chakravorty 1995, p. 64.
References
- Chakravorty, B.C. (1995). Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners. New Delhi: Allied Publishers. ISBN 978-81-7023-516-3.
Further reading
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Param Vir Chakra recipients. |
- Cardozo, Ian (2003). Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle. New Delhi: Roli Books Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-5194-029-6.
- National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) (2016). Veer Gaatha (PDF). New Delhi: Government of India. ISBN 978-93-5007-765-8.