Shaurya Chakra

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shaurya Chakra
Shaurya Chakra.jpg

Shaurya Chakra ribbon.svg
Shaurya Chakra and its ribbon, the third highest peacetime decoration of India
TypeMedal
Awarded forAwarded for gallantry otherwise than in the face of the enemy.[1]
CountryIndia Republic of India
Presented byIndia Republic of India
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 forces.
  • Members of the Nursing Services of the Armed Forces.
  • Civilian Citizens of either sex in all walks of life and members of Police Forces including Central Para-Military Forces and Railway protection Force.[1]
Post-nominalsSC
StatusCurrently Awarded
Established1952; 70 years ago (1952)
First awarded1952
Last awarded2021
Total awarded posthumously627
Total recipients2014 (As of 2017)[2]
Precedence
Next (higher)Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg Ati Vishisht Seva Medal[3]
EquivalentVir Chakra ribbon bar.svg Vir Chakra[3]
Next (lower)Yudh Seva Medal ribbon.svg Yudh Seva Medal[3]

The Shaurya Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, sometimes posthumously. It is third in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards and comes after the Ashoka Chakra and the Kirti Chakra. It precedes the Yudh Seva Medal.[total recipients 2094]. [total awarded posthumously is 677].

History[]

Established as the "Ashoka Chakra, Class III" by the President of India, 4 January 1952 (with effect from 15 August 1947). The statutes were revised and the decoration renamed on 27 January 1967. Before 1967, the award was known as the Ashoka Chakra, Class III. Subsequent awards of the Shaurya Chakra are recognized by a bar to the medal ribbon (to date five have been awarded). It is possible for a recipient to be awarded the Ashoka Chakra or Kirti Chakra in addition for separate acts of gallantry.

Since July 1999, it also being given to Civilians of either gender in all walks of life, other than members of Police Forces and of recognized Fire Services.[4] From 1 February 1999, the central government set a monthly stipend of Rs. 750 for recipients of the award. Jammu and Kashmir awards a cash award of Rs. 700 (ca. 1960) for recipients of the Shaurya Chakra.

Design[]

Medal: Circular bronze, 1-3/8 inches in diameter. In the centre, the Ashoka Chakra, surrounded by a lotus wreath and with an ornate edge. Suspended by a straight bar suspender. The medal is named on the edge.

Reverse: For pre-1967 awards, the medal is blank in the centre, with "Ashoka Chakra" in Hindi along the upper edge on the medal and the same name in English along the lower rim, "ASHOKA CHAKRA". On either side is a lotus design. The centre is blank, perhaps with the intent that details of the award be engraved there. There is no indication of the class on the pre-1967 awards. For the post-1967 awards, the, names are changed to "Shauryua Chakra" in Hindi above and "SHAURYA CHAKRA" below.

Ribbon: Green colour ribbon divided into four equal parts by three orange vertical lines.

Bar: If a recipient of the Chakra shall again perform such an act of gallantry as would have made him or her eligible to receive the Chakra, such further act of gallantry shall be recognised by a Bar to be attached to the riband by which the Chakra is suspended and, for every subsequent act of gallantry, an additional Bar shall be added and such Bar or Bars may also be awarded posthumously. For every such Bar, a replica of the Chakra in miniature shall be added to the riband when worn alone.

Eligibility[]

It is the peacetime equivalent of the Vir Chakra. It is generally awarded for Counter-Insurgency operations and actions against the enemy during peace-time.

Following categories of persons are eligible for the 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.
  • Nursing officers of military nursing service .
  • Civilian citizens of either sex in all walks of life and members of Police Forces including Central Para-Military Forces and Railway Protection Force.

Recipients[]

Year Rank Name Regiment Notes
1952 Major PS Gahoon Punjab Regiment
Second Lieutenant M Thulasiram The Corps of Engineers
Subedar Kartar Singh, MC Punjab Regiment
Jemadar Samandar Singh GRS
Lance Naik Milkha Singh Punjab Regiment
Lance Naik Bishan Singh Punjab Regiment
Sepoy Shankar Dass Punjab Regiment
Lieutenant Colonel R.A Shebbeare The Grenadiers
Major S.L Menezes The Grenadiers
Major AT Stephenson Garhwal Rifles
Subedar Major Dhan Singh Artillery
Havildar Naranjan Singh Sikh Regiment
Lance Daffadar Sultan Singh Poona Horse
Rifleman Bakhtawar Singh Bhandari Garhwal Rifles
Sepoy Harchand Singh Sikh Regiment
Sepoy Richhpal Singh The Grenadiers
Niak Jograj Singh Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
Sepoy Ram Singh Para, Kumaon
Rifleman Til Bahadur Gurung Assam Rifles
1953 Subedar Tek Bahadur Sahi 9th Gorkha Rifles
1953 Sepoy Thakur Singh Indian Army Service Corps
1953 Shri Baboo Lal Indian Civilian
1954 [[Shrimati Lalita Mukand]] Indian Civilian
1955 Jemadar Kulbir Thapa 8 Gorkha Rifles
1955 Rifleman Ganesh Bahadur Tamang 5 Gorkha Rifles
Sepoy Thakur Singh Army Service Corps
1999 Naik Urba Datt On the day of February 23, 1998, a specific intelligence was received that some terrorists are hiding in the Saloor village of Srinagar with an intention to plot explosives on the way of the convoy of VIPs passing through that route. On the same night around 2100h, Sofi Mohalla of that village was cordoned by the army. The next day at 1100h in the morning while searching the last house of the locality Naik Urba Datt noticed some suspicious movement in the heap of hay on the rooftop. He immediately fired however the terrorists jumped off the rooftop into the Nala and ran towards the jungle of Nambal. To this, Naik Urba Dutt too jumped on the Nala and chased the terrorists with a daunting spirit. Despite being severely injured, he gunned down one militant and wounded another militant who succumbed to his injuries later on. This brave soldier also succumbed to his injuries and got martyred. Naik Urba Datt displayed indomitable courage and exemplary valor and laid down his supreme sacrifice on the line of duty for the nation.
Jemadar Kulbir Thap 8 Gorkha Rifles
Rifleman Ganesh Bahadur Jamang 5 Gorkha Rifles
Havildar S.S. Bhardwaj Army Ordnance Corps
Scout Chatra Ram Border Scouts
Scout Tara Chand Border Scouts
Scout Saudagar Singh Border Scouts
Captain G.S. Grewal Bihar Regiment
Subedar Khem Chand The Grenadiers
Subedar Megh Singh Dogra Regiment
Jemadar Rabe Gurung 4 Gorkha Rifles
Havildar Tek Bahadur Gurung 4 Gorkha Rifles
Lance Havildar Balwant Singh Sikh Regiment
Naik Parachute Regiment
Sepoy Hans Raj[disambiguation needed] Punjab Regiment
Sepoy Narbir Singh Rajput Regiment
Sepoy Bihar Regiment
Havildar GRS
Sepoy Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry
Subedar Mohar Singh Sikh Regiment
Jemadar Mohinder Singh Sikh Regiment
Jemadar Tek Bahadur Gurung 8 Gorkha Rifles
Naik Rajput Regiment
Naik 8 Gorkha Rifles
Sepoy Mewa Singh Sikh Regiment
Sepoy Ranjit Singh Sikh Regiment
Lance Naik Assam Rifles
Rifleman Assam Rifles
Rifleman Assam Rifles
Second Lieutenant Signals
Second Lieutenant 8 Gorkha Rifles
Second Lieutenant Jat Regiment
Jemadar Dalip Singh[disambiguation needed] Sikh Regiment
2016 Captain Pawan Kumar[disambiguation needed] 10 PARA SF
2018 Major Army Services Corps
2018 Captain Parachute Regiment(TA)
19 March 2019 Major Pawan Kumar, Shaurya Chakra (Retd) 34 RR Jat Regiment Major Pawan Kumar displayed astute tactical acumen, indomitable spirit and raw courage which led to elimination of a hardcore terrorist in September 2017. A top terrorist and the longest surviving terrorist of the valley whilst infiltrating back from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir by taking cover of darkness, thick foliage, boulders and folds of the ground was effectively engaging own troops with deadly fire. The dreaded terrorist could have been engaged only with accurate indirect fire. Major Pawan realising the gravity of situation and danger to safety of own troops, undaunted by heavy volumes of fire, displaying raw courage, used folds of the ground to crawl towards the terrorist and closed in the distance. He lobbed a grenade at the terrorist forcing him to expose himself and in a fierce encounter shot him dead from a close quarter. His elimination not only saved lives of own troops but also prevented revival of terrorism in the valley. Major Pawan Kumar displayed perseverance, dedication to duty, unmatched bravery and raw courage in elimination of a hardcore terrorist.[5][6][7]
2020 Wing commander Varun Singh Indian Air Force
2021 Major Anuj Sood Rashtriya Rifles
2021 Captain Ashutosh Kumar NDA 132

References[]

  1. ^ a b "The Official Home Page of the Indian Army". Indianarmy.gov.in. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  2. ^ "Awardees | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Retrieved Feb 20, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Precedence Of Medals". indianarmy.nic.in/. Indian Army. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  4. ^ [1] Indian Army
  5. ^ https://www.indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=k5lhod0jTESAjpBHTcchHg==&ParentID=x1UHqJ2E5fTRe7COlnraPw==&flag=D3rRdeA74x88FLBhIxAcFw==
  6. ^ "President Ram Nath Kovind presents Shaurya Chakra to Major Pawan Kumar, Jat Regiment, 34th Battalion, Rashtriya Rifles". 19 March 2019.
  7. ^ "आतंकियों से लोहा लेने वाले मेजर पवन कुमार को मिला सेना का बड़ा सम्मान | Major Pawan Kumar got the Shaurya Chakra Award". 24 August 2018.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""