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Ashoka Chakra
Ashoka-chakra.png

Ashoka Chakra ribbon.svg
Ashoka Chakra and its ribbon
Awarded for India's highest peacetime military decoration
Presented by India Republic of India
Country India India

The Ashoka Chakra (alternative spelling: Ashok Chakra, lit. Wheel of Ashoka) 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. The rank refers to the rank held by the recipient at the time of award. Action refers to the conflict or event during which the Ashoka Chakra was awarded.

Key
* Indicates posthumous honour
List of award recipients, showing the year
Year Rank Recipient Branch Action Refs.
2021 Assistant Sub-Inspector Babu Ram * Jammu and Kashmir Police Kashmir insurgency
2019 Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani * Territorial Army (Indian Army)
2018 Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala * Indian Air Force
2017 Havildar Hangpan Dada * Indian Army
2016 Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami *
2014 Major Mukund Varadarajan *
Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh *
Sub-Inspector K. Prasad Babu * Andhra Pradesh Police Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
2012 Lieutenant Navdeep Singh * Indian Army Kashmir insurgency
2011 Major Laishram Jyotin Singh * February 2010 Kabul attack
2010 Havildar Rajesh Kumar * Kashmir insurgency
Major D. Sreeram Kumar Manipur insurgency
Mohit Sharma * Kashmir insurgency
2009 Havildar Bahadur Singh Bohra *
Joint Commissioner of Police Hemant Karkare * Maharashtra Police 2008 Mumbai attacks
Inspector Vijay Salaskar *
Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte *
Assistant Sub-Inspector Tukaram Omble *
Havildar Gajender Singh Bisht * National Security Guard
Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan *
Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma * Delhi Police Batla House encounter
Colonel Jojan Thomas * Indian Army Kashmir insurgency
Deputy Superintendent of Police R. P. Diengdoh * Meghalaya Police Meghalaya Insurgency
Assistant Commandant of Police Pramod Kumar Satapathy * Odisha Police Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
2008 Major Dinesh Raghu Raman * Indian Army Kashmir insurgency
2007 Captain Harshan Radhakrishnan Nair *
Naib Subedar Chuni Lal *
Colonel Vasanth Venugopal *
2004 Lieutenant Triveni Singh *
Paratrooper Sanjog Chhetri *
2003 Subedar Major Suresh Chand Yadav * National Security Guard Akshardham Temple attack
2002 Subedar Surinder Singh * Indian Army Kashmir insurgency
Naik Rambeer Singh Tomar *
2001 Shri Jagdish Prasad Yadav * Rajya Sabha Secretariat 2001 Indian Parliament attack
Shri Matbar Singh Negi *
Constable Kamlesh Kumari Yadav * Central Reserve Police Force
2000 Major Sudhir Kumar Walia * Indian Army Kashmir insurgency
1997 Second Lieutenant Puneet Nath Datt *
Lieutenant Colonel Shanti Swarup Rana *
1996 Captain Arun Singh Jasrotia *
1995 Major Rajiv Kumar Joon *
Subedar Sujjan Singh Yadav *
Lieutenant Colonel Harsh Uday Singh Gaur *
1994 Colonel Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair *
1993 Second Lieutenant Rakesh Singh Malhan *
1992 Captain Sandeep Sankhla *
1991 Superintendent of Police Randhir Prasad Verma * Bihar Police Bank robbery
1987 Flight Attendant Neerja Bhanot * Pan Am Pan Am Flight 73 hijacking
1986 Shri Vijay Jagirdar * Civilian 1984 anti-Sikh riots
1985 Lance Havildar Chhering Mutup Indian Army Siachen conflict
Naik Nirbhay Singh Sisodiya * Operation Blue Star
Bhawani Datt Joshi *
Lieutenant Ram Prakash Roperia *
Captain Jasbir Singh Raina
Major Bhukant Mishra *
Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma Indian Air Force Soyuz T-11
1984 Flight Engineer Gennadi Strekalov Roscosmos
Colonel Yury Malyshev Soviet Air Forces
1981 Second Lieutenant Cyrus Addie Pithawalla Indian Army Manipur insurgency
1974 Shri Munni Lal * Civilian Dacoit attack
Naib Subedar Gurnam Singh * Indian Army
1972 Shri Bhure Lal Madhya Pradesh Police Dacoit attack
Captain Ummed Singh Mahra * Indian Army Nagaland insurgency
1971 Shri Baij Nath Singh * Civilian Dacoit attack
1969 Captain Jas Ram Singh Indian Army Mizo insurgency
1968 Shri Takhat Singh * Civilian Dacoit attacks
Lakhan Singh
Hukum Singh
Govind Singh
Dhanpat Singh
1967 Head Constable (Retired) Shankar Lal Shrivastava * Madhya Pradesh Police
1965 Shri Tej Singh * Civilian
Lajja Ram *
Chaman Lal *
Purshottam *
1962 Subedar Major Sal Bahadur Limbu * Indian Army Nagaland insurgency
Captain Man Bahadur Rai
1958 Eric James Tucker *
1957 Lieutenant Colonel Jagannath Raoji Chitnis *
Second Lieutenant Pollur Mutthuswamy Raman *
Havildar Joginder Singh *
1956 Lance Naik Sundar Singh
1955 Pilot Damodar Kashinath Jatar * Air India
1953 Flight Lieutenant Suhas Biswas Indian Air Force
1952 Naik Narbahadur Thapa Indian Army Operation Polo
Havildar Bachittar Singh *

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

  • Subedar kartar singh son of Bhagwan singh(10-24406)3- Punjab R (Ashoka Chakra winner in 13 Sep 1948( VPO Taragarh Distt. Amritsar)
  • Havildar Bachittar Singh and Naik Nar Bahadur Thapa, were the first recipients of the Ashoka Chakra.
  • Flight Lieutenant Suhas Biswas was the first recipient of the Ashoka Chakra from Indian Air Force.
  • Paratrooper Sanjog Chhetri (aged 20 when posthumously awarded) was the youngest recipient of the Ashoka Chakra.
  • Colonel Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair was awarded both Ashoka Chakra and Kirti Chakra.
  • Damodar Kashinath Jatar, a pilot was the first civilian recipient of the Ashoka Chakra.
  • Colonel Yury Malyshev and Flight Engineer Gennadi Strekalov from Russia were the first foreign recipients of the Ashoka Chakra (both were astronauts).
  • Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma is the first Indian astronaut to be awarded the Ashoka Chakra.
  • Neerja Bhanot, a flight attendant of PAN AM was the first female recipient of the Ashoka Chakra.
  • Kamlesh Kumari Yadav, a constable of CRPF was the first recipient of the Ashoka Chakra from Central Armed Police Forces.
  • Bhure Lal, a constable from Madhya Pradesh Police was the first state policeman to be awarded the Ashoka Chakra (Shankar Lal Shrivastava, a retired head constable from Madhya Pradesh Police was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra in 1967).
  • Lt. Col. Harsh Uday Singh Gaur, 10 Bihar Regiment. On November 29, 1994. Ashoka Chakra

See also

  • List of highest military decorations by country
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