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The 'Param Vir Chakra (PVC)' is India's highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. It may be awarded posthumously and, indeed, most of the awards have been posthumous.
Literally, Param Vir means Bravest of the Brave (Sanskrit: Parama = Highest; Vīra (Pronounced veer) = Brave (warrior); Chakra = wheel but it can also mean medal, depending to the context).[1]
The PVC was established on 26 January 1950 (the date of India becoming a republic), by the President of India, with effect from 15 August, 1947 (the date of Indian independence). It can be awarded to officers or enlisted personnel from all branches of the Indian military. It is the second highest award of the government of India after Bharat Ratna (amendment in the statute on 26 January 1980 resulted in this order of wearing). It replaced the former British colonial Victoria Cross (VC), (see List of Indian Victoria Cross recipients).
Provision was made for the award of a bar for second (or subsequent) awards of the Param Vir Chakra. To date, there have been no such awards. Award of the decoration carries with it the right to use P.V.C. as a postnominal abbreviation.
The award also 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. The paltry amount of the pension has been a rather controversial issue throughout the life of the decoration. By March 1999, the stipend stood at Rs. 1500 per month. In addition, many states have established individual pension rewards that far exceeds the central government's stipend for the recipients of the decoration.
Subedar Major Bana Singh of the Eighth Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry was the only serving personnel of the Indian defence establishment with a Param Vir Chakra till the Kargil operations.
| Contents |
| Design |
| Decorated personnel |
| Commemorations |
| Trivia |
| Notes |
| External links |
Design
The medal was designed by Savitri Khanolankar (born Eva Yuonne Linda Maday-de-Maros to a Hungarian father and Russian mother) who was married to an Indian Army officer, Vikram Khanolankar. By coincidence, the first Param Vir Chakra was awarded to her son-in-law, Major Somnath Sharma for his bravery in the Kashmir operations in November 1947. He died while evicting Pakistani infiltrators and raiders from Srinagar Airport. This was when India and newly-formed Pakistan had the first war over the Kashmir issue.
The medal is a circular bronze disc with a 1-3/8 inch (approximately 3.5 cm) diameter. In the center, on a raised circle, the state emblem. Surrounding this, four replicas of Indra's Vajra (the all-powerful mythic weapon on the ancient Vedic god of war). The decoration is suspended from a straight swiveling suspension bar. It is named on the edge.
On the rear, around a plain center, two legends separated by lotus flowers. The words Param Vir Chakra are written in Hindi and English.
Ribbon of the Param Vir Chakra
The ribbon which holds the Param Vir Chakra is of 32 mm length and purple in colour.
The medal was designed to symbolize Rishi Dadhichi who donated his thigh bones to gods for making Vajra, and contains an image of Shivaji's sword Bhawani on the other side.
Decorated personnel
The Param Vir Chakra has been awarded to:
Incidentally, both Major Sharma (the first recipient) and Captain Batra belong to the same village, Palampur, in India's Himachal Pradesh state.
Commemorations
★ In 1990, a TV Series was aired on the Indian National Channel DD National titled ''Param Vir Chakra''. The tele-series was made by noted film maker Chetan Anand and ran for 15 episodes.
★ A number of noted celebrities participated in the series. Film actor Farooq Shaikh played Somnath Sharma, Puneet Issar played Nk Jadunath Singh, Vijayendra Ghatge played Lance Naik Karam Singh, Naseeruddin Shah played Abdul Hamid. Anu Kapoor played Albert Ekka.
★ The serial received full support from the Indian Armed Forces. The Army and the Air Force provided all the equipment for the shooting.
★ The title track 'Shaan teri kabhi kam na ho' (May your honour never decrease) was a much famous track during those days.
Trivia
★ Of the 21 awardees, 20 are from Indian Army and 1 from Indian Air Force.
★ Som Nath Sharma, the first recipient of the award, was the award designer Mrs. Savitri Khanolankar's son-in-law.
★ 14 of the 21 awards were posthumous.
★ Grenadiers Regiment have received the most number of Param Vir Chakras, with 3 awards, one each for the Indo-Pakistan 1965 war, 1971 Indo-Pakistan war and the Kargil War. The Gorkha Rifles have also received 3 awards, with the 1st Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment), 8th Gorkha Rifles and 11th Gorkha Rifles each receiving one.
★ The Sikh Regiment, Kumaon Regiment, 17th Poona Horse and Jammu and Kashmir Rifles have received 2 awards.
★ The highest rank to be awarded a Param Vir Chakra is that of a Lieutenant Colonel. Lt. Col. Ardeshir Tarapore, thus, had the highest rank to get this award.
★ The award to Major Dhan Singh Thapa, for the battle of Sirijap in the 1962 War was initially announced as a Posthumous award. It was not known that Major Thapa was taken POW at that time.
★ By an administrative mistake, the Param Vir Chakra to Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav was also announced posthumously. At that time Gren Yadav was recuperating in a hospital from his wounds. This was because there was another Soldier with the exact same name in his Unit who died in the same operation.
★ It is supposed to have one of the most rigorous selection systems.
★ Between 1983-85, The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd., took delivery of 15 ships (oil tankers) from Hyundai Shipyard and they were named after the then PVC awardees. The ships were named as "Company Havildar Major Piru Singh PVC". In fact in foreign ports the word PVC had to be explained to the pilots because it was construed by them to mean synthetic PVC.
Notes
1. It is pronounced Param Vīr and not Parama Vīra because of a modern North Indian convention of not pronouncing word-final unstressed vowels (schwas)).
External links
★ Indian Army Website on PVC winners from Indian Army
★ Interesting information on Savitri Khanolankar
★ Good article on PVC
★ Bharat Rakshak Website on PVC
★ Indian Army Trivia
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