Awards and decorations of the Indian Armed Forces

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The Armed Forces of India are eligible for many military decorations awarded for extraordinary bravery and distinguished service during times of war and peace. Service and campaign medals have been awarded throughout India's history as an independent state.

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Post-nominal letters for wartime gallantry decorations were approved when those decorations were created in 1950. Until 27 January 1967, when they received their present names, the two lower peacetime gallantry decorations and the two higher peacetime distinguished service medals were respectively distinct classes of the Ashoka Chakra and the Vishisht Seva Medal. [1] Post-nominals for peacetime gallantry, peacetime distinguished service and branch distinguished service awards were approved in August 1967. [2]

Gallantry medals

Wartime gallantry awards
Param-Vir-Chakra-ribbon.svg Param Vir Chakra (PVC)
Maha Vir Chakra ribbon.svg Maha Vir Chakra (MVC)
Vir Chakra ribbon bar.svg Vir Chakra (VrC)
Peacetime gallantry awards
Ashoka Chakra ribbon.svg Ashok Chakra (AC)
Kirti Chakra ribbon.svg Kirti Chakra (KC)
Shaurya Chakra ribbon.svg Shaurya Chakra (SC)

Distinguished service medals

Wartime distinguished service medals
Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal ribbon.svg Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal (SYSM)
Uttam Yudh Seva Medal ribbon.svg Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM)
Yudh Seva Medal ribbon.svg Yudh Seva Medal (YSM)
Peacetime distinguished service medals
Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM)
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM)
Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM)
Branch distinguished service medals
Sena Medal ribbon.svg Sena Medal (Army) (SM)
Nao Sena Medal ribbon.svg Nau Sena Medal (Navy) (NM)
Vayusena Medal ribbon.svg Vayu Sena Medal (Air Force) (VM)

Service and campaign medals

Wound Medal-India.svg Wound Medal
India General Service Medal 1947.svg General Service Medal
IND Samanya Seva medal.svg Samanya Seva Medal
IND Special Service Medal Ribbon.svg Special Service Medal
IND Samar Seva Star Ribbon.svg Samar Seva Star
IND Poorvi Star Ribbon.svg Poorvi Star
IND Paschimi Star Ribbon.svg Paschimi Star
IND Operation Vijay star.svg Operation Vijay Star
IND Siachen Glacier Medal Ribbon.svg Siachen Glacier Medal
IND Raksha Medal Ribbon.svg Raksha Medal
IND Sangram Medal Ribbon.svg Sangram Medal
IND Operation Vijay medal.svg Operation Vijay Medal
IND Operation Parakram medal.svg Operation Parakram Medal
IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg Sainya Seva Medal
IND High Altitude Medal Ribbon.svg High Altitude Medal
IND Videsh Seva Medal Ribbon.svg Videsh Seva Medal

Long service awards

IND Meritorious Service Medal Ribbon.svg Meritorious Service Medal
IND Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Ribbon.svg Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
IND 30 Years Long Service Ribbon.svg 30 Years Long Service Medal
IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg 20 Years Long Service Medal
IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg 9 Years Long Service Medal
IND Territorial Army decoration.svg Territorial Army Decoration
IND Territorial Army medal.svg Territorial Army Medal

Independence medals

Indian Independence medal 1947.svg Indian Independence Medal
75yearmedal.svg 75th Independence Anniversary Medal
IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg 50th Independence Anniversary Medal
IND 25th Anniversary Independence medal.svg 25th Independence Anniversary Medal

Mention in Dispatches

Mention in Dispatches has been used since 1947, in order to recognize distinguished and meritorious service in operational areas and acts of gallantry which are not of a sufficiently high order to warrant the grant of gallantry awards. [3]

Eligible personnel include all Army, Navy and Air Force personnel including personnel of the Reserve Forces, Territorial Army, Militia and other lawfully constituted Armed Forces, members of the Nursing Service and Civilians working under or with the Armed Forces. [3]

Personnel can be mentioned in dispatches posthumously and multiple awards are also possible. A recipient of a Mention in a Despatch is entitled to wear an emblem, in the form of a lotus leaf on the ribbon of the relevant Campaign Medal. They are also issued with an official certificate from the Ministry of Defence. [3]

Commendation Card

Chief of the Army Staff Commendation Card Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card - India.jpg
Chief of the Army Staff Commendation Card

All three branches of the military issue Commendation Cards, which are badges awarded for "individual acts of gallantry or distinguished service or devotion to duty performed either in operation or non-operational areas. It is a type of gallantry award. The award will be for a specific act of bravery or distinguished service or special service. The award will not be made posthumously."

All three branches issue Commendations Cards at the level of the highest officer (Chief of the Army Staff, Chief of the Naval Staff and Chief of the Air Staff). Additionally, Chief of Defence Staff also issues the Commendation Cards. The awards at lower levels seem to vary between services. [4] [5] [6]

Order of wearing

The various decorations and medals are worn in the following order: [7] [8] [9]

PrecedenceAward NameRibbon
1 Bharat Ratna [a] Bharat Ratna Ribbon.svg
2 Param Vir Chakra Param-Vir-Chakra-ribbon.svg
3 Ashoka Chakra Ashoka Chakra ribbon.svg
4 Padma Vibhushan [a] Padma Vibhushan Ribbon.svg
5 Padma Bhushan [a] Padma Bhushan Ribbon.svg
6 Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal ribbon.svg
7 Param Vishisht Seva Medal Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg
8 Maha Vir Chakra Maha Vir Chakra ribbon.svg
9 Kirti Chakra Kirti Chakra ribbon.svg
10 Padma Shri [a] Padma Shri Ribbon.svg
11 Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak [b] IND Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak ribbon.png
12 Uttam Yudh Seva Medal Uttam Yudh Seva Medal ribbon.svg
13 Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg
14 Vir Chakra Vir Chakra ribbon bar.svg
15 Shaurya Chakra Shaurya Chakra ribbon.svg
16 Yudh Seva Medal Yudh Seva Medal ribbon.svg
17 Sena Medal (for army personnel) Sena Medal ribbon.svg
Nau Sena Medal (for navy personnel) Nao Sena Medal ribbon.svg
Vayu Sena Medal (for air force personnel) Vayusena Medal ribbon.svg
18 Vishisht Seva Medal Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg
19 Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak [b] IND Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak ribbon.png
20 Wound Medal Wound Medal-India.svg
21 General Service Medal India General Service Medal 1947.svg
22 Samanya Seva Medal IND Samanya Seva medal.svg
23 Special Service Medal IND Special Service Medal Ribbon.svg
24 Samar Seva Star IND Samar Seva Star Ribbon.svg
25 Poorvi Star IND Poorvi Star Ribbon.svg
26 Paschimi Star IND Paschimi Star Ribbon.svg
27 Operation Vijay Star IND Operation Vijay star.svg
28 Siachen Glacier Medal IND Siachen Glacier Medal Ribbon.svg
29 Raksha Medal IND Raksha Medal Ribbon.svg
30 Sangram Medal IND Sangram Medal Ribbon.svg
31 Operation Vijay Medal IND Operation Vijay medal.svg
32 Operation Parakram Medal IND Operation Parakram medal.svg
33 Sainya Seva Medal IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg
34 High Altitude Medal IND High Altitude Medal Ribbon.svg
35 Videsh Seva Medal IND Videsh Seva Medal Ribbon.svg
36Meritorious Service Medal IND Meritorious Service Medal Ribbon.svg
37Long Service and Good Conduct Medal IND Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Ribbon.svg
38 Jeevan Raksha Padak [b] IND Jeevan Raksha Padak ribbon.png
39Territorial Army Decoration IND Territorial Army decoration.svg
40Territorial Army Medal IND Territorial Army medal.svg
41 Indian Independence Medal Indian Independence medal 1947.svg
42 75th Independence Anniversary Medal 75yearmedal.svg
43 50th Independence Anniversary Medal IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg
44 25th Independence Anniversary Medal IND 25th Anniversary Independence medal.svg
45 30 Years Long Service Medal IND 30 Years Long Service Ribbon.svg
46 20 Years Long Service Medal IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg
47 9 Years Long Service Medal IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg
48 Commonwealth awards
49 United Nations Medal United Nations Medal ribbon.svg
50Other awards

Note that the Police Medals, Fire Services Medals, Correctional Services Medals, Home Guards and Civil Defence Medals, and Tatrakshak Medals are excluded from the above list. The above order of precedence of awards is as per the Indian Army. There are slight variations, especially in the campaign medals, in the order followed by the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.

Wearing medals by the next of kins

An order issued on 11 July 2019 by the Indian Army's "Ceremonial and Welfare Adjutant General's Branch" made it permissible for the close relatives of the deceased military personnel to wear their medals on the right side of chest while attending homage ceremonies at war memorials, cemeteries and funerals. These gallantry or service awards of deceased can be worn by their family members, such as spouses, children, parents, forefathers while wearing civil clothes. [10]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 These are civilian awards that can be awarded to military personnel.
  2. 1 2 3 These are civilian bravery awards that can be awarded to military personnel.

References

  1. "Ashoka Chakra and Vishisht Seva Medals Renamed" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 27 January 1967. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  2. "Press Note" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 19 August 1967. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 "Mention in Dispatches". Indian Army. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  4. NEW PATTERN COAS COMMENDATION BADGES & ARMY COMMENDATION BADGES Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "The Official Home Page of the Indian Army". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
  6. "Army's New Norms for Commendation Badges - Livefist". 13 August 2009. Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  7. "Part I-Section 1: Order of Precedence of wearing of various medals and decorations" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 8 February 2020. p. 219–220.
  8. "Precedence Of Medals". Official Website of the Indian Army. Indian Army. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  9. "Order of Precedence | Indian Navy". Official Website of the Indian Navy. Archived from the original on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  10. Indian Army allows next of kin to wear medals of late ex-servicemen during homage ceremonies Archived 2019-10-02 at the Wayback Machine , India Today, 23 July 2019.