Somnath Sharma

MajorSomnath Sharma, PVC (31 January 1923 – 3 November 1947), was an Indian military officer and the first recipient of India's highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), which he was awarded posthumously.

Sharma was commissioned into the 4th Battalion, 19th Hyderabad Regiment, in 1942. He served in Burma during the Arakan Campaign in World War II, for which he was mentioned in dispatches. In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948, he was killed in action on 3 November 1947 while repelling Pakistani infiltrators near Srinagar Airport. For his gallantry and sacrifice during the Battle of Badgam, he was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra.