Awards and decorations of the Indian Armed Forces

The Armed Forces of India are eligible for many military decorations awarded for extraordinary bravery and distinguished service during times of war and peace. Service and campaign medals have been awarded throughout India's history as an independent state.

Military medals

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Decorations for precedence:

Wartime gallantry awards
  Param Vir Chakra (PVC)
  Maha Vir Chakra (MVC)
  Vir Chakra (VrC)
Peacetime gallantry awards
  Ashok Chakra (AC)
  Kirti Chakra (KC)
  Shaurya Chakra (SC)
Wartime distinguished service medals
  Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal (SYSM)
  Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM)
  Yudh Seva Medal (YSM)
Peacetime distinguished service medals
  Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM)
  Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM)
  Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM)
Distinguished service & gallantry medals
  Sena Medal (Army) (SM)
  Nau Sena Medal (Navy) (NM)
  Vayu Sena Medal (Air Force) (VM)

Service and campaign medals

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  Wound Medal
  General Service Medal 1947
  Samanya Seva Medal
  Special Service Medal
  Samar Seva Star
  Poorvi Star
  Paschimi Star
  Operation Vijay Star
  Siachen Glacier Medal
  Raksha Medal
  Sangram Medal
  Operation Vijay Medal
  Operation Parakram Medal
  Sainya Seva Medal
  High Altitude Medal
  Videsh Seva Medal

Long service awards

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  Meritorious Service Medal
  Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
  30 Years Long Service Medal
  20 Years Long Service Medal
  9 Years Long Service Medal
  Territorial Army Decoration
  Territorial Army Medal

Independence medals

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  Indian Independence Medal
  75th Independence Anniversary Medal
  50th Independence Anniversary Medal
  25th Independence Anniversary Medal

Mention in Dispatches

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Mention in Dispatches has been used since 1947, in order to recognize distinguished and meritorious service in operational areas and acts of gallantry which are not of a sufficiently high order to warrant the grant of gallantry awards.[1]

Eligible personnel include all Army, Navy and Air Force personnel including personnel of the Reserve Forces, Territorial Army, Militia and other lawfully constituted Armed Forces, members of the Nursing Service and Civilians working under or with the Armed Forces.[1]

Personnel can be mentioned in dispatches posthumously and multiple awards are also possible. A recipient of a Mention in a Despatch is entitled to wear an emblem, in the form of a lotus leaf on the ribbon of the relevant Campaign Medal. They are also issued with an official certificate from the Ministry of Defence.[1]

Commendation Card

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Chief of the Army Staff Commendation Card

All three branches of the military issue Commendation Cards, which are badges awarded for "individual acts of gallantry or distinguished service or devotion to duty performed either in operation or non-operational areas. It is a type of gallantry award. The award will be for a specific act of bravery or distinguished service or special service. The award will not be made posthumously."

All three branches issue Commendations Cards at the level of the highest officer (Chief of the Army Staff, Chief of the Naval Staff and Chief of the Air Staff). Additionally, Chief of Defence Staff also issues the Commendation Cards. The awards at lower levels seem to vary between services.[2][3][4]

Order of wearing

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The various decorations and medals are worn in the following order:[5][6]

Precedence Award Name Ribbon
1 Bharat Ratna  
2 Param Vir Chakra  
3 Ashoka Chakra  
4 Padma Vibhushan  
5 Padma Bhushan  
6 Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal  
7 Param Vishisht Seva Medal  
8 Maha Vir Chakra  
9 Kirti Chakra  
10 Padma Shri  
11 Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak  
12 Uttam Yudh Seva Medal  
13 Ati Vishisht Seva Medal  
14 Vir Chakra  
15 Shaurya Chakra  
16 Yudh Seva Medal  
17 Sena Medal (for army personnel)  
Nau Sena Medal (for navy personnel)  
Vayu Sena Medal (for air force personnel)  
18 Vishisht Seva Medal  
19 Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak  
20 Wound Medal  
21 General Service Medal 1947  
22 Samanya Seva Medal - 1965  
23 Special Service Medal  
24 Samar Seva Star - 1965  
25 Poorvi Star  
26 Paschimi Star  
27 Operation Vijay Star  
28 Siachen Glacier Medal  
29 Raksha Medal – 1965  
30 Sangram Medal  
31 Operation Vijay Medal  
32 Operation Parakram Medal  
33 Sainya Seva Medal  
34 High Altitude Medal  
35 Videsh Seva Medal  
36 Meritorious Service Medal  
37 Long Service and Good Conduct Medal  
38 Jeevan Raksha Padak  
39 Territorial Army Decoration  
40 Territorial Army Medal  
41 Indian Independence Medal - 1947  
42 Indian Police Independence Medal - 1950  
43 75th Independence Anniversary Medal  
44 50th Independence Anniversary Medal  
45 25th Independence Anniversary Medal  
46 30 Years Long Service Medal  
47 20 Years Long Service Medal  
48 9 Years Long Service Medal  
49 Commonwealth Awards
50 United Nations Awards
51 Other Awards

Note that the Police Medals, Fire Services Medals, Correctional Services Medals and Home Guards and Civil Defence Medals are excluded from the above list. The above order of precedence of awards is as per the Indian Army. There are slight variations, especially in the campaign medals, in the order followed by the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.

Wearing medals by the next of kins

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An order issued on 11 July 2019 by the Indian Army's "Ceremonial and Welfare Adjutant General's Branch" made it permissible for the close relatives of the deceased military personnel to wear their medals on the right side of chest while attending homage ceremonies at war memorials, cemeteries and funerals. These gallantry or service awards of deceased can be worn by their family members, such as spouses, children, parents, forefathers while wearing civil clothes.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Mention in Dispatches". Indian Army. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  2. ^ NEW PATTERN COAS COMMENDATION BADGES & ARMY COMMENDATION BADGES Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "The Official Home Page of the Indian Army". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
  4. ^ "Army's New Norms for Commendation Badges - Livefist". 13 August 2009. Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  5. ^ "Precedence Of Medals". Official Website of the Indian Army. Indian Army. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  6. ^ "Order of Precedence | Indian Navy". Official Website of the Indian Navy. Archived from the original on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  7. ^ Indian Army allows next of kin to wear medals of late ex-servicemen during homage ceremonies Archived 2019-10-02 at the Wayback Machine, India Today, 23 July 2019.
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