Vishisht Seva Medal | |
---|---|
| |
Type | Military award |
Awarded for | Distinguished service, to all ranks of the armed forces |
Country | India |
Presented by | President of India |
Established | 26 January 1960 |
Precedence | |
Next (higher) | Sena Medal (Army) Nau Sena Medal (Navy) Vayu Sena Medal (Air Force) |
Equivalent | Yudh Seva Medal |
Next (lower) | Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak [1] |
The Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) is a decoration of the Indian Armed Forces. It is awarded to recognize "distinguished service of a high order" to all ranks of the Indian Armed Forces.
From 1980, the Yudh Seva Medal was introduced to recognize exceptional services in an operational environment. [2] Since then the VSM has been restricted to non-operational service.
The Vishisht Seva Medal was originally instituted as the "Vishisht Seva Medal, Class III" on 26 January 1960. Five other medals were instituted on the same day - the Sainya Seva Medal, Sena Medal, Nao Sena Medal and the Vayu Sena Medal. [3] It was renamed on 27 January 1961, and the badge signed.
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. The medal was originally established as the "Vishisht Seva Medal, Class III". [2] It was renamed to its present name on 27 January 1967. The design of the medal remained unchanged and the change be reflected only in the records.
The medal is a 35-mm circular medal, with a five-pointed star in the centre. It is suspended from a straight-bar suspender with the name on the edge. The state emblem with the name of the decoration in Hindi above - "Vishisht Seva Medal" in Hindi. The ribbon is 32 mm long in yellow, with three 2 mm dark blue stripes dividing it into four equal parts
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].
The Sena Medal is awarded to members of the Indian army, of all ranks, "for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army." Awards may be made posthumously and a bar is authorized for subsequent awards of the Sena Medal.
The Yudh Seva Medal 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, which includes times of war, conflict, or hostilities and may be awarded posthumously.
The Vayu Sena Medal is a military decoration, usually awarded in peacetime for a job well done in the Indian Air Force. However, it has been granted during times of conflict for acts of gallantry in the face of enemy, though not in the same numbers as the Vir Chakra.
Nau Sena Medal is a gallantry award for servicemen in the Indian Navy.
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:
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) is a military award of India given to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the armed forces. The award is a peacetime equivalent of Uttam Yuddh Seva Medal, which is a Wartime Distinguished Service decoration.
Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) is a military award of India. It was constituted in 1960 and since then it is 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.
The Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal is India's highest wartime distinguished service decoration. It is awarded for the highest degree of distinguished service in an operational context, which includes times of war, conflict, or hostilities. The award is a war-time equivalent of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, which is India's highest peacetime distinguished service decoration.
Uttam Yudh Seva Medal 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. "Operational context" includes times of war, conflict, or hostilities. The award is a wartime equivalent of Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, which is a Peacetime Distinguished Service decoration. Uttam Yudh Seva Medal may be awarded posthumously.
Air Marshal Padma Bandopadhyay, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, PHS is a decorated former flight surgeon in the Indian Air Force. She was the first woman to be promoted to the rank of Air Marshal in the Indian Air Force. She is the second woman in the Indian Armed Forces to be promoted to a three-star rank, after Surgeon Vice Admiral Punita Arora.
Operations Parakram Medal is a military award of India. It was awarded in recognition of the services of Armed Forces personnel and civilians in Operation Parakram. 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 who were involved in the operation were awarded the medal.
The Sainya Seva Medal is a medal of the Indian Armed Forces. The medal is awarded in recognition of non-operational service under conditions of hardship and severe climate in specified areas.
Lieutenant General Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM was the Military Secretary of the Indian Army and assumed office on 15 December 2017. He was the 46th Commander, XV Corps of the Indian Army and was in office from 1 November 2016 to 14 December 2017. He assumed the post from Lt General Satish Dua and was succeeded by Lt General Anil Kumar Bhatt.
Air Marshal Arvindra Singh Butola, PVSM, VM, VSM is a retired officer of the Indian Air Force. He was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Training Command, and assumed office on 14 October 2019 succeeding Air Marshal Surendra Kumar Ghotia. Air Marshal AS Butola superannuated on 30 September 2020.
Lieutenant General Harinder Singh PVSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, is a retired General Officer of the Indian Army. He retired from Indian Army after serving as commandant of Indian Military Academy in his last appointment. Previously, he was the Commander of XIV Corps from October 2019 to October 2020, succeeding Lt Gen Yogesh Kumar Joshi, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VrC, SM, ADC.
The Videsh Seva Medal is a service medal of the Indian Armed Forces. It is presented to all ranks of the three services for services rendered outside India. It was instituted on 26 January 1960. It can also be awarded posthumously.
Lieutenant General M. V. Suchindra Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, YSM & bar, VSM is a serving general officer of the Indian Army. He is currently the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command. He earlier served as the 45th Vice Chief of the Army Staff, prior to that he was Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Strategy) and General Officer Commanding XVI Corps.
Lieutenant General Ananthanarayan Arun, PVSM, YSM, SM, VSM is a serving general officer of the Indian Army. He currently serves as the Chief of Staff of the South Western Command, Jaipur. He previously served as the General Officer Commanding Dakshin Bharat Area. He earlier served as the officiating Commandant of the Officers Training Academy, Chennai.
Lieutenant General Virendra Vats, YSM, SM, VSM is a serving general officer of the Indian Army. He currently serves as the Commandant of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.