The Gallantry Awards

Context: President Droupadi Murmu presented 51 Gallantry Awards during Phase-I of the Defence Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

• Among the Kirti Chakra recipients was Indian astronaut-designate and Indian Air Force officer Air Commodore Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, call sign Papa, one of the four selected Gagannauts for India’s first human spaceflight mission Gaganyaan.

About The Gallantry Awards:

What It Is?

• Gallantry Awards are the highest state decorations instituted by the Government of India to honor personnel of the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), and State/UT Police forces. They recognize acts of raw courage, unparalleled bravery, and supreme self-sacrifice rendered in the line of duty.

History & Institution:

• The War-Time Trilogy (1950): The first three gallantry awards—Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, and Vir Chakra—were instituted on January 26, 1950, with retrospective effect from August 15, 1947.
• The Peace-Time Trilogy (1952): The subsequent three awards were introduced on January 4, 1952, originally named Ashoka Chakra Class-I, Class-II, and Class-III. In January 1967, these were officially renamed the Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, and Shaurya Chakra, respectively.
• Announcement Frequency: These decorations are announced twice a year—first on Republic Day and subsequently on Independence Day.

2026 Phase-I Investiture Statistics:

During the June 2026 ceremony, a total of 51 medals were pinned by the President, including several posthumous honors for supreme sacrifice:

• Kirti Chakra: 07 awarded (5 to living personnel, 2 posthumously)
• Vir Chakra: 15 awarded (12 to living personnel, 3 posthumously)
• Shaurya Chakra: 29 awarded (28 to living personnel, 1 posthumously)

Key Design Features of the Medals:

The structural and physical properties of each medal carry deep symbolic representations:

1. Param Vir Chakra (PVC)

• Design: Circular bronze medal. On the obverse, it features four replicas of Indra’s Vajra (the mythical lightning weapon) embossed around the national emblem.
• Reverse: Plain background with Param Vir Chakra raised in both Hindi and English, separated by two lotus flowers.

2. Ashoka Chakra:

• Design: Circular gold-gilt medal. The obverse features a replica of Ashoka’s Chakra (the wheel of law) centered within a lotus leaf border.
• Reverse: Blank center with Ashoka Chakra embossed along the top edge in Hindi and English.

3. Maha Vir Chakra & Kirti Chakra:

• Maha Vir Chakra: Struck in standard silver, featuring a dominant five-pointed heraldic star touching the outer rim with a domed gilded state emblem at its heart.
• Kirti Chakra: Circular silver medal featuring a replica of the Ashoka Chakra inside an ornamental rim, suspended by a green silk ribbon split by three vertical saffron stripes.

4. Vir Chakra & Shaurya Chakra

• Vir Chakra: Circular silver medal showing a five-pointed star with a central chakra housing the national emblem.
• Shaurya Chakra: Circular bronze medal identical in dimensions to the Kirti Chakra but stylized with a brown silk ribbon divided by three vertical lines.