Ashoka Chakra


Ashoka Chakra and its ribbon
TypeMedal
Awarded forAwarded for most conspicuous bravery, or some act of daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice otherwise than in the face of the enemy.[1]
DescriptionIndia's highest peacetime military decoration
CountryIndia India
Presented byIndia Republic of India
Eligibility
  • Officers, men and women of all ranks of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, of the Territorial Army, Militia and of any other lawfully constituted forces.
  • Members of the Nursing Services of the Armed Forces.
  • Civilian Citizens of either sex in all walks of life and members of Police Forces including Central Para-Military Forces and Railway protection Force.[1]
Post-nominalsAC
StatusActive
Established1952 (1952)
First awarded1952
Last awarded2021
Total98 (As of 2023)[2][3]
Total awarded posthumously68
Total recipients98
Precedence
Next (higher) Bharat Ratna
Equivalent Param Vir Chakra[lower-alpha 1][5][6][7]
Next (lower) Padma Vibhushan[8]

The Ashoka Chakra (alternative spelling: Ashok 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.

Havildar Bachittar Singh and Naik Narbahadur Thapa were the first recipients of the Ashoka Chakra. Subsequent awards of the Ashoka Chakra are recognized by a bar to the medal ribbon. A recipient can be awarded the Kirti Chakra or Shaurya Chakra in addition to separate acts of gallantry.

History

The medal was originally established on 4 January 1952 as the "Ashoka Chakra, Class I" as the first step of a three-class sequence of non-combatant bravery decorations. In 1967, these decorations were removed from the "class-based" system and renamed as the Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, and Shaurya Chakra. This is an important point in understanding the independent Indian view of decorations. It would also lead to changes in the Padma Vibhushan series, the distinguished service medal series, the life-saving medal series, and the Defence Security Corps medal series.

From 1 February 1999, the central government instituted a monthly stipend for Ashoka Chakra recipients of Rs. 1400. Jammu and Kashmir awarded a cash award of Rs. 1500 for recipients of this award.

Overview

Obverse: Circular gold gilt, 1-3/8 inches in diameter. In the center, the chakra (wheel) of Ashoka, is surrounded by a lotus wreath with an ornate edge. Suspended by a straight bar suspender. The medal is named on the edge.

Reverse: Blank in the center, with "Ashoka Chakra" in Hindi along the upper edge on the medal and the same name in English along the lower rim. On either side is a lotus design. The center is blank, perhaps with the intent that details of the award be engraved there. There is no indication of the class on the pre-1967 awards, and, in fact, there is no difference between these medals & the post-1967 awards.

Ribbon: 32 mm, dark green with a 2 mm central saffron stripe.

Ashoka Chakra recipients

As of August 2021, the medal has been awarded to 86 awardees, of which 68 were to posthumous recipients.

Key
* Indicates posthumous honour
List of award recipients, showing the year
Year Rank Recipient Branch Refs.
2021 Assistant Sub-InspectorBabu Ram * Jammu and Kashmir Police[9]
2019 Lance NaikNazir Ahmad Wani * Territorial Army (Indian Army)[10]
2018 CorporalJyoti Prakash Nirala * Indian Air Force[3]
2017 HavildarHangpan Dada * Indian Army[11]
2016 Lance NaikMohan Nath Goswami * Indian Army[11]
2014 MajorMukund Varadarajan * Indian Army[11]
NaikNeeraj Kumar Singh * Indian Army[11]
Sub-InspectorK. Prasad Babu * Andhra Pradesh Police[12]
2012 LieutenantNavdeep Singh * Indian Army[11]
2011 MajorLaishram Jyotin Singh * Indian Army[11]
2010 HavildarRajesh Kumar * Indian Army[11]
MajorD. Sreeram Kumar Indian Army[11]
MajorMohit Sharma * Indian Army[11]
2009 HavildarBahadur Singh Bohra * Indian Army[13]
Joint Commissioner of PoliceHemant Karkare * Maharashtra Police[13]
InspectorVijay Salaskar * Maharashtra Police[13]
Additional Commissioner of PoliceAshok Kamte * Maharashtra Police[13]
Assistant Sub-InspectorTukaram Omble * Maharashtra Police[13]
HavildarGajender Singh Bisht * National Security Guard[13]
MajorSandeep Unnikrishnan * National Security Guard[13]
InspectorMohan Chand Sharma * Delhi Police[13]
ColonelJojan Thomas * Indian Army[13]
Deputy Superintendent of PoliceR. P. Diengdoh * Meghalaya Police[13]
Assistant Commandant of PolicePramod Kumar Satapathy * Odisha Police[13]
2008 MajorDinesh Raghu Raman * Indian Army[14]
2007 Captain Radhakrishnan Nair Harshan * Indian Army[14]
Naib Subedar Chuni Lal * Indian Army[14]
Colonel Vasanth Venugopal * Indian Army[14]
2004 Lieutenant Triveni Singh * Indian Army [14]
Paratrooper Sanjog Chhetri * Indian Army [14]
2003 Subedar Major (Assistant Commander Grade I.) Suresh Chand Yadav * National Security Guard [15]
2002 Subedar Surinder Singh * Indian Army [14]
Naik Rambeer Singh Tomar * Indian Army [14]
2001 Shri Jagdish Prasad Yadav * Security Assistant Rajya Sabha Secretariat
Shri Matbar Singh Negi * Security Assistant Rajya Sabha Secretariat
Constable Kamlesh Kumari Yadav * Central Reserve Police Force [14]
2000 Major Sudhir Kumar Walia * Indian Army [14]
1997 Second Lieutenant Puneet Nath Datt * Indian Army [14]
Lieutenant Colonel Shanti Swarup Rana * Indian Army [14]
1996 Captain Arun Singh Jasrotia * Indian Army [14]
1995 Major Rajiv Kumar Joon * Indian Army [14]
Subedar Sujjan Singh Yadav * Indian Army [14]
Lieutenant Colonel Harsh Uday Singh Gaur * Indian Army [14]
1994 Colonel Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair * Indian Army [14]
1993 Second Lieutenant Rakesh Singh Malhan * Indian Army [14]
1992 Captain Sandeep Sankhla * Indian Army [16]
1991 Superintendent of Police Randhir Prasad Verma * Bihar Police [16]
1987 Flight Attendant Neerja Bhanot * Pan Am [16]
1986 Shri Vijay Jagirdar * Civilian
1985 Lance Havildar Chhering Mutup Indian Army [16]
Naik Nirbhay Singh Sisodiya * Indian Army [16]
Naik Bhawani Datt Joshi * Indian Army [16]
Lieutenant Ram Prakash Roperia * Indian Army [16]
Captain Jasbir Singh Raina Indian Army [16]
Major Bhukant Mishra * Indian Army [16]
Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma Indian Air Force [16]
1984 Flight Engineer Gennadi Strekalov Roscosmos [16]
Colonel Yury Malyshev Soviet Air Forces [16]
1981 Second Lieutenant Cyrus Addie Pithawalla Indian Army [16]
1974 Shri Munni Lal * Civilian
Naib Subedar Gurnam Singh * Indian Army [16]
1972 Shri Bhure Lal Madhya Pradesh Police
Captain Ummed Singh Mahra * Indian Army [16]
1971 Shri Baij Nath Singh * Civilian
1969 Captain Jas Ram Singh Indian Army [16]
1968 Shri Takhat Singh * Civilian [17]
Shri Lakhan Singh Civilian
Shri Hukum Singh Civilian
Shri Govind Singh Civilian
Shri Dhanpat Singh Civilian
1967 Head Constable Shankar Lal Shrivastava * Madhya Pradesh Police
1965 Shri Tej Singh * Civilian
Shri Lajja Ram * Civilian
Shri Chaman Lal * Civilian
Shri Purshottam * Civilian [16]
1962 Subedar Major Sal Bahadur Limbu * Indian Army [16]
Captain Man Bahadur Rai Indian Army [16]
1958 Captain Eric James Tucker * Indian Army [16]
1957 Lieutenant Colonel Jagannath Raoji Chitnis * Indian Army [16]
Second Lieutenant Pollur Mutthuswamy Raman * Indian Army [16]
Havildar Joginder Singh * Indian Army [16]
1956 Lance Naik Sundar Singh Indian Army [16]
1955 Pilot Damodar Kashinath Jatar * Air India
1953 Flight Lieutenant Suhas Biswas Indian Air Force [16]
1952 Naik Narbahadur Thapa Indian Army [16]
Havildar Bachittar Singh * Indian Army [16]

Ashoka Chakra recipients by year and service

Award recipients by year
Year Number of recipients
1952–1959
09
1960–1969
13
1970–1979
05
1980–1989
12
1990–1999
10
2000–2009
24
2010–2019
12
2020–2029
01
Award recipients by service
Field Number of recipients
Indian Army
52
Indian Air Force
03
Indian Navy
00
Indian Civilians
17
Indian State Police
11
Foreigners
02
CAPF
01

Superlatives

See also

References

  1. ↑ Though the Ashoka Chakra is placed below the PVC in order of wear, it is considered as a peacetime equivalent to Param Vir Chakra).[4]
  • Chakravorty, B.C. (1995). Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners. New Delhi: Allied Publishers. ISBN 978-81-7023-516-3.
  1. 1 2 "Official Website of Indian Army". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Awardees - Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in.
  3. 1 2 "Martyred Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala joins elite IAF club tomorrow | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. 25 January 2018.
  4. ↑ "Awards Warb" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs (India). p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  5. ↑ Chakravorty 1995, p. 40.
  6. ↑ "Precedence of Medals". Indian Army. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  7. ↑ "Precedence of Medals". indianarmy.nic.in/. Indian Army. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  8. ↑ "Precedence of Medals". Indian Army, Govt of India official website.
  9. ↑ "As Jammu and Kashmir Police bags gallantry medals, DGP heaps praises". Hindustan Times. 14 August 2021.
  10. ↑ "411 Republic Day Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations Announced". pib.nic.in. Press Information Bureau, Government of India.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Ashoka Chakra recipients (2009–16)". Indian Army Web Portal. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  12. ↑ "The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee giving away the highest gallantry award Ashok Chakra to Shri K. Venkatraman father of the Reserve Inspector, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Shri K.L.V.S.S.H.N.V. Prasad Babu, (Posthumous), during the 65th Republic Day Parade 2014, in New Delhi on January 26, 2014". Press Information Bureau, India. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Ashoka Chakra awardees and their saga of gallantry" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, India. 25 January 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Ashoka Chakra recipients (1993–2009)". Indian Army Web Portal. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  15. ↑ "Suresh Chand Yadav". National Security Guards. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 "Ashoka Chakra recipients (1952–92)". Indian Army Web Portal. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  17. ↑ Aggarwal, Rashmi (2021). "Sri Takhat Singh". Ashoka Chakra Recipients. p. 63.
  18. ↑ "Saluting Lt Col Harsh Uday Singh Gaur, Ashok Chakra (Posthumous)". MyNation. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
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