History Division was established on 26 October 1953 to undertake the compilation of the histories of post independence military operations conducted by the Indian Armed Forces. It functions as the research, record and reference office of the Ministry of Defence and the Indian Armed Forces. It receives records from the Ministry of Defence and three Services HQs on a regular basis for preservation and use. The Division has published 20 volumes so far. The Division also runs a Fellowship scheme to encourage research in military history. The History Division works under Joint Secretary (Medical & History) in the Ministry of Defence,
2. The charter of duties of the Division includes the following:- i) To serve as the research, record and reference office to the Indian Armed Forces. It preserves and maintains war diaries/operational records and other military documents received from various formations and units of the Indian Armed Forces. These documents are eventually used for writing the official histories of operations conducted by the Indian Armed Forces and for answering queries pertaining to military history received from the three Services, Ministry of Defence, other Departments/Offices, research scholars, etc. ii) To write histories of the wars fought by the Indian Armed Forces. These include the Peace-keeping Operations conducted by the Indian Armed Forces in various countries from time to time. iii) To guide and assist the Army Regiments and Air Force Squadrons in compiling the histories & vet their histories before publication. iv) To assist the Ministry of Defence and the three Services Headquarters with military historical data. v) To assist the Services Headquarters in the battle honours works. vi) To advise the three Services, Coast Guard Headquarters and the Ministry of Defence in all matters relating to military heraldry, such as naming of new establishments and acquisitions, designing of crests and badges and coining of mottoes.<https://www.mod.gov.in/dod/history-division-0>
It has brought out 18 volumes including: [1] [2]
The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest military decoration, awarded for displaying distinguished acts of valour during wartime. Param Vir Chakra translates as the "Chakra of the Ultimate Brave", and the award is granted for "most conspicuous bravery in the presence of the enemy". As of January 2018, the medal has been awarded 21 times, of which 14 were posthumous and 16 arose from actions in Indo-Pakistani conflicts. Of the 21 awardees, 20 have been from the Indian Army and one has been from the Indian Air Force. Major Somnath Sharma was the first recipient. A number of state governments of India as well as ministries of the central government provide allowances and rewards to recipients of the PVC.
The Ashoka Chakra is India's highest peacetime military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action, or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC) and is awarded for the "most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent valour or self-sacrifice" other than in the face of the enemy. The decoration may be awarded either to military or civilian personnel.
The Brigade of The Guards is a mechanised infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was raised as the first "all India", "all class" infantry unit of the Army where troops from all parts of India serve together, as opposed to other regiments that recruit from specific regions, ethnic groups or religions.
The Battle of Asal Uttar was one of the largest tank battles fought during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It was fought from 8 to 10 September 1965, when the Pakistan Army thrust its tanks and infantry into Indian territory, capturing the Indian town of Khemkaran 5 km from the International Border. The Indian troops retaliated, and after three days of bitter fighting, the battle ended with the Pakistani forces being repulsed near Asal Uttar. Factors that contributed to this were the fierce fight put up by the Indian Army, conditions of the plains, better Indian tactics, and a successful Indian strategy.
The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint defence service training institute of the Indian Armed Forces, where cadets of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force train together before they go on to their respective service academy for further pre-commission training. The NDA is located in Khadakwasla, Pune, Maharashtra. It is the first tri-service academy in the world.
Lieutenant Colonel Dhan Singh Thapa Magar, PVC was an Indian Army officer, and recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military decoration. Thapa Magar was commissioned into the 1st Battalion, 8 Gorkha Rifles in 1949.
Captain Bana SinghPVC is an Indian soldier and a recipient of the nation's highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra. As a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army, he led the team that wrested control of the highest peak on the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir from Pakistani forces as part of Operation Rajiv. Following his success, India renamed the peak to Bana Post in his honour.
The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regimental center is in Srinagar's Airport Complex at Awantipora with a winter setup near Jammu. Its regimental insignia consists of a pair of crossed rifles. The regiment mostly consists of volunteers from the state of Jammu & Kashmir and ethnic groups from the state. The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry is considered to be one of the most decorated regiment of the Indian army having won 1 Param Veer Chakra and 3 Ashok Chakra. Naib Subedar Chuni Lal of the 8th battalion Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry is one of the most decorated personnel of the Indian Army.
Major Somnath Sharma, PVC, was an officer of the Indian Army, and the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), India's highest military decoration, which he was awarded posthumously.
The Indian honours system is the system of awards given to individuals for a variety of services to the Republic of India. The categories of awards are as follows:
The Indian Army Corps of Engineers is a combat support arm which provides combat engineering support, develops infrastructure for armed forces and other defence organisations and maintains connectivity along the borders, besides helping the civil authorities during natural disasters. College of Military Engineering, Pune (CME) is the premier technical and tactical training institution of the Indian Army Corps of Engineers.
Lieutenant General Zorawar Chand 'Zoru' Bakshi PVSM, MVC, VrC, VSM was a General Officer of the Indian Army, most widely known as one of the commanders of Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He also has the distinction of being "India's most decorated General".
Jadunath Singh (1916 –1948) was an Indian Army soldier who was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military decoration for his actions in an engagement during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.
Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa MVC was a military officer of the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces and later the Indian Army. Revered as the Hero of Skardu, he was a recipient of the Indian Army's second highest gallantry award, the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC).
20th Lancers is an armoured regiment in the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. The regiment distinguished itself in operations with its defence of Chhamb in Jammu and Kashmir during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War and won one Maha Vir Chakra. It has provided one Chief of Army Staff and two Army Commanders.
The National War Memorial is a war memorial in New Delhi, Delhi, India, located at India Gate Circle. It has been built to honour and remember soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces who fought in armed conflicts of independent India. The names of armed forces personnel killed during the armed conflicts with Pakistan and China as well as the 1961 War in Goa, Operation Pawan, and other operations such as Operation Rakshak are inscribed on the memorial walls in golden letters.
Major General Cyrus Addie Pithawalla AC, VSM, is a former General officer of the Indian Army. He was awarded India's highest peacetime decoration for gallantry, the Ashok Chakra, in 1981, and by virtue of this is one of the most decorated flag officers in the history of the Indian Armed Forces.
Lieutenant-General Joginder Singh Gharaya MVC, KC, VSM was a highly decorated Indian Army general and the only member of the Indian Armed Forces to have won both the Maha Vir Chakra and the Kirti Chakra, the second highest wartime and peacetime Indian decorations.
Major General Dalvir Singh AVSM, VrC, VSM is a retired Indian Special Forces officer, a former General Officer of the Indian Army and the recipient of Vir Chakra, India's third-highest War-time gallantry award. He has commanded the 10th Battalion Special Forces, the elite 52 Special Action Group of the NSG, Kilo Force of the Rashtriya Rifles and the Territorial Army (India), with distinction. After retirement from active military service, he has been serving as the Director Training of Rajasthan Police Training Center Jodhpur.