The Siachen Glacier Medal is awarded for service in the

Siachen conflict The Siachen conflict, sometimes referred to as the Siachen Glacier conflict or the Siachen War, was a military conflict between India and Pakistan over the disputed Siachen Glacier region in Kashmir. The conflict was started in 1984 by India' ...

along India's northern border with Pakistan. Awarded to the Indian Air Force for

Operation Meghdoot Operation Meghdoot ( "Operation Cloud Messenger" after a famous Sanskrit poem by Kalidasa) was the codename for the Indian Armed Forces' operation to seize control of the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir, precipitating the Siachen conflict. Exe ...

, in support of activities in support of troops serving in the Siachen Glacier area since April 1984.

Appearance

The medal is a circular 36-mm cupro-nickel medal. In the center of the

obverse Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''o ...

is the

Emblem of India The State Emblem of India is the national emblem of the Republic of India and is used by the union government, many state governments, and other government agencies. The emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka, an ancient sculptur ...

, surrounded by the legend ''Siachen Glacier Medal'' in both Hindi and English. The reverse bears a stylized scene of mountains with a soldier and a helicopter. It is suspended by a non-swiveling straight bar and name of the recipient is impressed on the edge. The ribbon is medium blue, wide, with a white centre stripe in width.

Eligibility

The following personnel are eligible for the medal: *All ranks of the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

, Territorial Army, and of any other Armed Forces of the Union. *All ranks of the

Railway Protection Force Railway Protection Force is a security force under the ownership of Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways, Government of India established by the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957; enacted by the Indian Parliament for "the better protection ...

Police Forces The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

, Home Guards, Civil Defence Organisations, and civilians under the orders, direction, or supervision of one of the previously mentioned forces. *All ranks of the Army, and IAF who took part in the initial action to secure Bila Fondla NJ 8888 Siala ND 7011 Indira Col and area North of Base Camp, through vertical envelopment. *Personnel physically present in the area for a day or night in area North of Base Camp NK 1963 during the period 12–18 April 1984. *Personnel with a minimum stay of 30 days in the qualifying area. The time spent in captivity, through capture during operations in the area, will count towards the qualifying period. *All IAF and personnel of AOP and Air maintenance Battalions who have flown at least three operational or maintenance sorties in support of the operation during the period 12–18 April 1984 and then operational or maintenance sorties after 18 April 1984. *All commanders and staff officers directly responsible for the operation who have done ten visits to the qualifying area. *All personnel who have earned a gallantry award, were

Mentioned in Despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

, died, sustained wounds, or were disabled may be awarded the medal without completing the required time of service. *All civilian porters who spent a minimum of 30 days in the qualifying area.

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=April 2017 Military awards and decorations of India