Vir Chakra

Vir Chakra



Vir Chakra and its ribbon, the third highest military decoration of India
Awarded by India Republic of India
Country India Republic of India
Type Medal
Eligibility Military Personnel Only
Awarded for Acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land or at sea or in the air.
Status Currently Awarded
Post-nominals VrC
Statistics
First awarded 1947
Last awarded 1999
Precedence
Next (higher) Ati Vishisht Seva Medal[1]
Next (lower) Shaurya Chakra[1]

Vir Chakra is an Indian gallantry award presented for acts of bravery in the battlefield. It replaced the British Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), Military Cross (MC) and Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). Award of the decoration carries with it the right to use Vr.C. as a postnominal abbreviation (note the care to distinguish this abbreviation from that for the Victoria Cross (V.C.). It is third in precedence in the war time gallantry awards and comes after the Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra.[2]

Origin

Established by the President of India on 26 January 1950 (with effect from 15 August 1947). The statutes were amended 12 January 1952 to readjust the order of wearing as new decorations were established.

Appearance

The medal is 1-3/8 inch circular silver medal. A five pointed star, with the chakra in the center, and, on this, the domed gilded state emblem. The decoration is named on the rim and suspended from a swiveling straight-bar suspender. The decoration is almost always named and dated on the edge. Around a plain center, two legends separated by lotus flowers; above Vir Chakra in Hindi and in English. The ribbon is 32 mm, half dark blue and half orange-saffron. Dark blue 16 mm, saffron 16 mm.[3]

The award carries with it a cash allowance and, in some cases, a lump sum cash award. This has been a rather controversial issue throughout the life of the decoration. From 1 February 1999, the central government set a monthly stipend of Rs. 850 for recipients of the award. In addition, many states have established individual pension rewards for the recipients of the decoration.

List of Vir Chakra recipients

Some of the notable Vir Chakra awardees include:[4]

Rank Name Branch Award Date Awarded for
Subedar Nadikerianda Bheemaiah Indian Army 1947 Kashmir War
2nd Lieutenant R Kanikasamy Indian Army 1947 Kashmir War
Capt Harbaksh Singh Indian Army 1 May 1948 Operation Polo
Hony Lt Gopal Singh Gusain Indian Army 1962 Operation Leg Horn at Nuranang
L Hav Narender Dutt Indian Army (Bengal Sappers) 18 Nov 1962 Operation Leg Horn
Hav. Ishwar Singh Indian Army 15 March 1948 Operation Polo
Flt Lt Vonthibettu Prabhakara Hegde Indian Air Force 26-Jan-1950 Kashmir operations
Gp Capt Zafar Ali Shah Indian Air Force 20 Nov 1950 Kashmir operations
Wg Cdr Krishan Kant Saini Indian Air Force 18 Nov 1962 Operation Leg Horn
Lt Gen Zorawar Chand Bakshi Indian Army 05 Aug 1965 Operation Ablaze
Wg Cdr Trevor Keelor Indian Air Force 03 Sep 1965 Operation Riddle
Air Cmde Alfred Tyrone Cooke Indian Air Force 07 Sep 1965 Operation Riddle
Air Mrshl Denzil Keelor Indian Air Force 19 Sep 1965 Operation Riddle
Lt Gen Mohammad Ahmad Zaki Indian Army 20 Sep 1965 Operation Riddle
Capt Achhar Singh Kaila Indian Army 24 Nov 1965 Operation Riddle
2 Lt Gopal Krishan Duggal Indian Army 17 Nov 1965 Operation Riddle
Adm Laxminarayan Ramdass Indian Navy 01 Dec 1971 Operation Cactus Lily
Subedar Gurdev Singh Hans Indian Army 04 Dec 1971 Operation Cactus Lily
Maj Nanjappa K P Indian Army 05 Dec 1971 Battle of Daudkandi
Wg Cdr Kukke Suresh Indian Air Force 05 Dec 1971 Battle of Longewala
Lt Col Raj Singh Indian Army 15 Dec 1971 Operation Cactus Lily [5]
Lieutenant K.S. Brar Indian Army 16 Dec 1971 Battle of Jamalpur
Flt. Lt. (Now Gp. Captain) Mahabir P. Premi Indian Air Force 17 Dec 1971 Operation Cactus Lily
Major PK Sharma Indian Army 06 Dec 1971 Operation Cactus Lily
Captain Jatinder Kumar Indian Army 06 Dec 1971 Operation Cactus Lily
Col Gopal Krishan Trivedy Indian Army 11 Dec 1971 Operation Cactus Lily
Lt Col Satish Nambiar Indian Army 11 Dec 1971 Operation Cactus Lily
Capt. Gurbux Singh Bhatti Indian Army 16 Dec 1971 Battle of Basantar
Air Cmde Jasjit Singh Indian Air Force 17 Dec 1971 Operation Cactus Lily
Grenadier Rafiq Khan Indian Army 19 Dec 1971 Operation Cactus Lily
Vice Adm Arun Prakash Indian Navy 21 Dec 1971 Operation Cactus Lily
Squadron Leader M A Ganapathy Indian Air force 1972 Boyra Encounter (1971)
Air Commodore Kuldeep Singh Sahota Indian Air Force 26 Jan 1972 1971 Pakistan war
Rifle Man Kuldeep Singh Indian Army 24 May 1988 Operation Savage (Sikkim)
Capt Ashish Sonal Indian Army 26 Jan 1991 Indian Peace Keeping Force
H/capt Swaran Singh Indian Army 28 Apr 1990 Operation Pawan
Capt Sunil Khokhar Indian Army 01 Jan 1996 Kashmir operations
Sub Randhir Singh Indian Army 01 Jan 1999 Operation Vijay, Kargil War
Sqn Ldr Ajay Ahuja Indian Air Force 01 Jan 1999 Operation Safed Sagar, Kargil War
Capt R Jery Prem Raj Indian Army 07 Jul 1999 Operation Vijay, Kargil War[6]
Hav Sish Ram Gill Indian Army 15 Aug 1999 Operation Vijay, Kargil War
Capt Jintu Gogoi Indian Army 30 Jun 1999 Operation Vijay, Kargil War
Subedar Bhawarlal Bhakar Indian Army Jun 1999 Battle of Tololing, Kargil War
Havaldar Yashvir Singh Tomar Indian Army Jun 1999 Battle of Tololing, Kargil War
Lt Colonel Ramakrishnan Vishwanathan Indian Army, 18 grenadiers]] Jun 1999 Battle of Tololing, Kargil War
Captain Amol Kalia Indian Army, 12 J&K Light Infantry Jun 1999 Batalik sector, Kargil War
Captain Haneef Uddin Indian Army, 11 Rajputana Rifles Jun 1999 Batalik sector, Kargil War
Captain Sumit Roy Indian Army, 18 Garhwal Rifles Jun 1999 Batalik sector, Kargil War
Havaldar Madan lal Indian Army 5 Jul 1999 Battle of Tiger Hill, Kargil War
Capt Vijayant Thapar Indian Army 15 Aug 1999 Operation Vijay, Kargil War
Major Mariappan Saravanan Indian Army 15 Aug 1999 Operation Vijay, Kargil War
Col Lalit Rai Indian Army 15 Aug 1999 Operation Vijay (1999), Kargil War
Capt Baleyada Muthanna Cariappa Indian Army 2000 Operation Vijay, Kargil War
Havildar Chuni Lal Indian Army 30 Aug 2000 Operation Vijay, Kargil War

References

  1. 1 2 "Precedence Of Medals". http://indianarmy.nic.in/. Indian Army. Retrieved 9 September 2014. External link in |work= (help)
  2. ↑ http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Awards/awavrc.htm
  3. ↑ "BHARAT RAKSHAK MONITOR: Volume 3(6)". Bharat-rakshak.com. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
  4. ↑ "Vir Chakra Awardee List". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  5. ↑ http://twdi.in/node/4378
  6. ↑ Singh, Ishwar. "hav".
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