The Ashoka Chakra (alternative spelling: Ashok Chakra) is India's highest peacetime

military decoration Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. DoD Manual 1348.33, 2010, Vol. 3 A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a meda ...

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. Naik Narbahadur Thapa, Havildar

Bachittar Singh Bhai Bachittar Singh (6 May 1664 – 22 December 1705), often known with the honorific " Shaheed" (martyr), was a Sikh hero and a general of Guru Gobind Singh. His father was Bhai Mani Singh and he came from Alipur Riyasat Multan. Famil ...

and

Flight Lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior Officer (armed forces)#Commissioned officers, commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) RAF officer ranks, system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries. I ...

Suhas Biswas Flight Lieutenant Suhas Biswas, AC (9 September 1924 – 1 September 1957) was an Officer in the Indian Air Force who was the first Air Force Officer to be awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime military award, in the year of 195 ...

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 The Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the ''pe ...

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 Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

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

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

Ashoka Chakra recipients by year and service

Superlatives

* Havildar

, Naik Narbahadur Thapa, were the first recipients of the Ashoka Chakra. *Shri Amrat Lal Mehra was first youngest recipient of Ashoka Chakra from Madhya Pradesh *

was the first recipient of the Ashoka Chakra from

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct ...

. * Paratrooper

Sanjog Chhetri Paratrooper Sanjog Chhetri, Ashoka Chakra (military decoration), AC (26 June 1982 – 22 April 2003) was an Indian paratrooper of the 9 Para (Special Forces) who was posthumously awarded India's peace time military decoration Ashoka Chakra (militar ...

(aged 20 when posthumously awarded) was the youngest recipient of the Ashoka Chakra. *

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair was awarded both Ashoka Chakra and

. * Damodar Kashinath Jatar, a pilot who was the first civilian recipient of the Ashoka Chakra. *

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 Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, AC (born 13 January 1949) is a former Indian Air Force pilot who flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984 as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme. He is the only Indian citizen to travel in space, although th ...

is the first Indian astronaut to be awarded the Ashoka Chakra. *

Neerja Bhanot Neerja Bhanot (7 September 1963 – 5 September 1986) was an Indian purser who died while saving passengers on Pan Am Flight 73 which had been hijacked by terrorists from a terrorist organization during a stopover in Karachi, Pakistan, ...

, a flight attendant of PAN AM who was the first female recipient of the Ashoka Chakra. * Kamlesh Kumari, a constable of CRPF who was the first recipient of the Ashoka Chakra from

Central Armed Police Forces Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) is the collective name of central police organisations in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). These are technically paramilitary forces formerly known as Central Para-Military Forces (CPMF). Sinc ...

. * Bhure Lal, a constable from Madhya Pradesh Police who is the first state policeman to be awarded the Ashoka Chakra. (Note that 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. https://www.mynation.com/news/saluting-lt-col-harsh-uday-singh-gaur-ashok-chakra-posthumous--pj04mf

References

External links

Ashoka Chakra
at

Indian Army The Indian Army is the Land warfare, land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Arm ...

website
Bharat Rakshak Page on Ashoka Chakra

Recipients of Ashoka Chakra Award
{{Indian honours and decorations Civil awards and decorations of India Military awards and decorations of India * Memorials to Ashoka Ashoka Chakra Courage awards