Gallantry Awards and Honours

• Gallantry awards of India are known as Military Awards. It is conferred to Army personnel for acts of extreme valor, courage and self sacrifice while fighting with enemies.
• Military awards can be divided into two types

1. Wartime Gallantry Award :

1. Param Vir Chakra (PVS)
2. MahaVir Chakra (VRC)

2. Pecetime Gallantry Award:

1. Ashok Chakra (AC)
2. Kirti Chakra (KC)
3. Shaurya Chakra (SRC)

The Param Vir Chakra (PVC):

• The Param VirChakra is India’s highest military decoration award for the highest degree of valour or self sacrifice in the presence of the enemy.

• The PVC was established on 26^th Jan 1950. Provision was made for the award of bar for a second awards of the Param Vir Chakra, with a replica of the Vejra, the weapon of Indra, the King of Heaven.
• The Medal was designed by Savitri Khanolkar who was married to an Indian Army officer Vikram Khanolkar of the Sikh Regiment.
• The Medal is a circular bronze disc 1.375 inches (3.49 CM) in diameter. The state emblem appears in the center, on a raised circle, surrounding this for replicas of Vajra, the all Powerful Mythic weapon of Indra, the ancient vedic king of Gods.
  • The motif symbolizes the sacrifice Rishi Dadhichi, who had donated his bones to the Gods for making Vajra to kill the demon Vritra. In Medal the words Param Vir Chakra are written in Hindi and English.
  • A Purple Ribbon 32 millimeters (1.3in) long holds the param vir Chakra.
• Mazor Somnath Sharmathe Indian Army officer was the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. He was awarded the medal posthumously for his bravery in the Kashmir Operations in Nov 1947.

 

MahaVir Chakra:

• The MahaVir Chakra (MVC) (literally Great Warrior Medal) is the second highest military decoration in India after Param Vir Cakra.
• It is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land at sea or in the air.
• It replaced the British Distinguished service order (DSO). The Medal may awardedposthumously.
• It was established in the year 26^th Jan 1950.
• The medal is made of standard silver and is circular in shape, embossed on the obverse is a five pointed heraldic star with circular center-piece bearing the gilded state emblem of India in the center.
• The words “Mahavira Chakra” are embossed in Devanegari and English on the reverse with tow lotus flowers in the middle.
• The decoration is worn on the left chest with a halt-white and half orange riboon about 3.2 cm in width., the orange being near the left should.
• The most MVCs awarded in a single conflict was in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971.

VIR Chakra:

• It is a War Time Indian Gallantry Award presented for acts of bravery in the battle field.
• It replaced the British Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), Military Cross 9MC) and Distinguished Flying cross (DFC).
• Established by the president of India on 26^th Jan 1950 (with effect from 15^th Aug 1947). The sautés were emended 12 Jan 1952 to readjust the order of wearing as new decorations were established.
• The medal is 1.3/8 inch circular silver medal. A fire pointed star, with the chakra in the centre and on this, the domed gilded state emblem.
• The decoration is named on the rim and suspended from a swiveling straight bar suspender. The decoration is named and dated on the rim and on the edge.
• Around a plane center, two legends separated by lotus flowers, above Vir Chakra in Hindi and in English.
• The ribbon is 32mm, half dark blue and half orange saffron. Dark blue 16mm. Saffron 16mm.
• It was first awarded in 1947 to Subedar NadikeriandaBheemaiah of Indian Army.

(i) R. Kanikasamy, Indian Army

(ii) Air Force: Vonthibetta Prabhakar Hegde

(iii) Navy: Laxmi Narayan Ramdas, 1971

 

Ashoka Chakra:

• The Ashoka Chakra is India’s highest Peacetime Military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self sacrifice away from the battle field.

It is the peace time equivalent of the Param VirChakra and is awarded form the “most conspicuous bravery or some daring or preeminent valor or self sacrifice other than in the face of the enemy.

• It may be awarded either to military or civilian personnel. It replaced the British George Cross.
• The Medal was originally established on 4^th Jan 1952. As the “Ashoka Chakra, Class-I as the first step of a three-Class sequence of non combatant bravery decoration. In 1967 these decorations were renewed from the class based system and renamed as the Ashoka Chakra.
• Flight Lt Suhas Biswas was the first Indian Air Force Officer to be awarded with the Ashoka Chakra.

 

Kriti Chakra (KC):

• The Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self sacrifice away from the field of battle.

Eligibility:

• Officers’ men and women of all ranks of the Army the Navy and the air force of any of the Reserve forces of the Territorial Army, Militia and of any other lawfully constituted forces.
• Members of the Nursing Services of the Armed Force.
• Civilian citizens of either sex in all walks of life and members of police forces including central para-military force and Railway protection force.
• It also includes posthumous award.
• It is peacetime equivalent of the MahaVir Chakra
• Established in 4^th Jan 1952 and renamed in the year 1967.

Design:

• It is circular in shape and is made of stand and silver, 1.3/8 inches in diameters.
• On the obverse of the medal shall be embossed a replica of Ashoka Chakra in the center surrounded by a lotus wreath.
• On its reverse shall be embossed the words KIRTI CHAKRA both in Hindi and in English the versions being separated by two lotus flowers.

Ribbon :

• 30mm, Dark green with two 2 mm saffron stripes dark green 8.5 mm, saffron 2mm, dark green 9 mm, saffron 2 mm, dark green 8.5 mm.
• First recipient of this award was-

 

Shaurya Chakra (SRC):

• The ShauryaChakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self sacrifice not engaged in direct action with the enemy.
• It is the peace time equivalent of the Vir Chakra.
• It is generally awarded for counter-insurgency operations and actions against the enemy during peace time.
• It precedes the SenaMedal.
•  It was instituted by the President of India on4^th Jan 1952 (with effect from 15^th  Aug 1947).

 

 

Obverse :

• Circular bronze 1.3/8 inches in diameter. In the center, the chakra of Ashoka surrounded by a lotus wreath and with an ornate edge. The medal is named on the edge.

 

Bharat Ratna:

• It is the Highest Civilian Award of the Republic of India.
• Instituted in 1954, the award is conferred in recognition of exceptional service of the highest order without distraction of race, occupation, position or sex.
• The recommendations for the Bharat Ratna are made by the PM to the President witha maximum of three nominees being awarded per year.
• Recipients receive a Sanad (Certificate) shaped medallion (Focus release).
• Bharat Ratna recipients rank Seventh (7A) in the Indian order of precedence.

Specifications:

• The Current medal is in the shape of a Peepal leaf approx. 2.5/16 inches (59 mm) long, approx. 17.8 inches wide and 1/8 inch (3.2) thick and rimmed in platinum.
• The embossed sun burst design, made of platinum on the obverse side of the medal has a diameter of 5/8 inch (16mm) to ½ inch (13mm) from the centre of the sun.
• The words “Bharat Ratna’ on the obverse side remained the same as the 1954 design as did the emblem of India and Satyameva Jayate on the reverse side.
• A 2-inch-wide (51 mm) white ribbon is attached to the medal so it can be worn around the neck.
• The Bharat Ratna medals are produced at Alipore Mint, Kolkata, along with the other civilian and military awards.
• The Bharat Ratna ceremony is usually held at Rashtra Pati Bhavan.
• The First recipients of the Bharat Ratnawere.

1. Politician – C. Rajagopalachari
2. Philosopher – S Radhakrishnan
3. Scientist – C.V. Raman, 1954

• The former P.M Lal Bahadur Shastri became the first individual to honored posthumously.
• In 2004,Cricketer Sachine Tendulkar(then aged 40) became the youngest recipient of Bharat Ratna while social reformer Dhondo Keshav Karve was awarded on his 100^th (Oldest) 1958.
• Two Non Indiansi.eKhan Abdul Ghaffar Khan of Pakistan in 1987 and the former South African President Nelson Mandela in 1990 awarded with Bharat Ratna.
• 1^st Naturalized Indian citizen Mother Teresa in 1980 awarded with the prestigious award.
• Indira Gandhi was the first lady honored with Bharat Ratnain the year1971.
• Subhash Ch Bose was awarded with Bharat Ratna Posthumously in 1992 due to controversy his family refused to accept the award.

 

Man Booker Prize:- (1982)

• The Man Booker Prize for Fiction (formerly known as the Bookero-MC Conne II and commonly known simply as the Booker Prize) is a Literary Prize awarded each year for the best original novel written in the English Language and published in the UK.
• Only commonwealth, Irish and Zimbabwean citizen were eligible to receive the prize.
• It was first awarded in 1969 and instituted in 1968.
• First man to get Booker Prize in 1969 was P.H. Newby for “Something to Answer For”.
• Bernice Rubens became the first woman to win the Booker Prize for the “Elected Members”.
• First Indian to get Booker prize was Arundhati Roy for the “God of Small Thing”in1997.

 

The Pulitzer Prize: - (1917)

• The Pulitzer Prize is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, and online journalism literature, and musical composition in the USA.
• It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of American Joseph Pulitzer who had made his fortune as a newspaper Pulitzer University in New York city.
• Prizes are awarded nearly in 21 categories such as pubic service, Breaking news reporting Investigate Reporting, Explanatory Reporting, Local Reporting, National Reporting, International Reporting, Feature writing, Commentary, Criticism, Editorial Writing, Editorial Cartooning, Breaking News photography, Feature Photography, Fiction, Drama History, Biography, Poetry, General Non-Fiction, Music.

 

The Abel Prize: - (1^st Jan 2002)

• The Abel Prize is a Norwegian Prize awarded annually by the GovernmentOf Norway to one or more outstanding Scientific work in the field of Mathematics.
• It was named after Norwegian mathematicians Niels Henric Abel.
• The award ceremony takes place in the Atrium of the University of also faculty of law.
• This award is also called the Nobel Prize of Mathmatics.

 

The Merlin Award:

• This award given to Magicians in recognition of their contributions to the performance and creation of magic around the world.
• The award was created by Tony Hassini and International Magicians Society.
• The Design was created by Carol Michard, a New York University art student in 1968.

 

The International Lenin Peace Prize:

• The International Lenin Peace Prize was the Soviet Union’s award named in honor of Vladimir Lenin.
• The 1^st name was the International Stalin prize for strengthening peace among peoples, but was renamed the International Lenin Prize for strengthening peace Among peoples.
• It was created on 21^st Dec 1949 by executive order of the presidium of the supreme Soviet in honor of Joseph Stalin’s 70^th birthday.

 

The International Gandhi Peace Prize:

• The International Gandhi Peace Prize named after Mahatma Gandhi is awarded annually by the Governmentof India.
• As a tribute to the ideals espoused by Gandhi the government launched the International Gandhi Peace Prize in 1995 on the occasion of the 125^th birth anniversary of M.K. Gandhi.
• This is an annual award given to individuals and institutions for their contributions towards social, economic, and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.
• The award carries Rs 1 Crore in cash convertible in any currency in the world. A plaque and a citation. It is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, creed.
• A jury consisting of the PM of India, the leader of the of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice of India and two other eminent persons decided the awardee each year.
• The first recipient of this award was Julius Nerere in the year 1995.
• 1st Institution International Gandhi Peace Prize – Ramakrishna Mission, 1998.
• 1^st Lady to getInternational Gandhi Peace Prize– Caretta Scott King, 2004.

 

Indira Gandhi Peace Prize:

• The Indira Gandhi Peace Prize is the prestigious award accorded annually by India to Individuals or Organizations in recognition of creative efforts toward promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order, ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of freedom, and enlarging the scope of freedom.
• It was first awarded in 1986, New Delhi.
• The prize carries a cash award of2.5 million Indian Rupees and a Citation.
• The recipients are chosen from pool of national and international nominees.
• The first recipient of this award was Parliamentarians for Global Action in 1986.
• The first individual recipient – Mikhil Gorbachev.
• 1^st Leady to get this award – Gro Hartem Brundtland, 1988

 

The world Peace Prize: - (1989)

• The world Peace Prize was established in 1989 by the World Peace Corps Mission.
• It was set up by Roert L. Leggett in Washington D.C.
• It is an initiative with stated intention to promote world peace and interne religious understanding, awarded periodically to individuals considered to have contributed to the causes of world peace by preventing regional conflicts or world war by settling the disputes of political, diplomatic and economic matters by developing new inventions to minimize threats and confusions within mankind The Prize’s stated core spirit is of advancing peace and justice and justice and inter-religious collaborations.
• Top Honor prize is the highest recognition of the world peace prize. It has been presented to people who are considered to be eminent world leaders working towards the goals of the prize.

Raman Magsaysay Award:

• The Raman Magsaysay Award is an annual award established in April 1957 by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers fund based in New Your City with the concurrence of the Philippine Governmentto honor the former President Raman Magsaysay.
• The Raman Magsaysay Award Foundation gives the prize to Asian Individuals achieving excellence in their respective fields. The awards were given in Six categories. These are

1. Government Service
2. Public Service
3. Community Leadership
4. Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts.
5. Peace and International Understanding
6. Emergent Leadership.

 

The Templeton Prize:

• The Templeton Prize is an annual award presented by the Templeton Foundation established in 1972.
• It is awarded to living person who in the estimation of the judges has made an exceptional contribution to affirming, life’s spiritual dimension whether through insight, discovery or practical works.
• The prize is named after Sir Jon Templeton an American born British entrepreneur and business man.
• It was first awarded in 1973 to Mother Teresa.

 

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award:

• The DadasahebPhalke Award is India’s highest award in Cinema.
• It is presented annually at the National Film awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals and Organization set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in the year 1969to commemorate Dadasaheb Phalke’s contribution to Indian Cinema..
• The recipient is honored for their outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema.
• The award comprises a Swarna Ramal, medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh.
• First presented in 1969.
• The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani Roerich.
• Actor Prithiviraj Kapoor is the sole posthumous recipient of this award till date.

 

NOTE:-Dadasaheb Phalke who as popularly known as the Father of Indian Cinema was an Indian film Maker who directed India’s 1^st full Length feature film Raja Harishchandrain 1913.

 

The National Film Awards:

• The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremonies in India.
• Established in 10^thOct 1954. It has been administered along with the international film festival of India and the Indian Panorama by the Indian Govt Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.
• The award ceremony is held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi where the President of India present the awards.

 

The Asian Film Award:

• The Asian Film Awards are presented annually by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society to recognize the excellence of the film professional in the film industries of Asian Cinema.
• In Jan 29, 2007, Wilfred Wong, the chairman of Hong Kong International film festival society announced the launch of the Asian film Awards.
• The first Asian film Awards awarded on20^thMarch 2007 on the opening night of the 31^st Hong Kong IFF in Hong Kong convention and exhibition Centre.

 

Academy Award/Oscars:

• The Academy Awards or Oscars is an annual American Awards ceremony hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science to recognize excellence in cinematic achievements in the United States film industry.
• The awards first presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Rosevelt Hotel.
• The awards ceremony was first broadcast to radio in 1930 and televised for the first time in 1953.
• The OSCAR is the oldest entertainment awards ceremony.
• The first best actor awarded was Emil Jannings for the ‘Last Command’ and ‘The Way of All Flesh’.
• First Indian to get OSCAR was Bhanu Athaiya for Costume Design in GandhiFILM in 1982.
• 1^st Indian who got OSCAR for Lifetime Achievement isSatyajit Ray.

 

The Grammy Award:

• Grammy Award or originally called Gramophone Award, is an honor awarded by the recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement manly in the English-Language Music Industry.
• The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on 4^th may 1959 to honor the musical accomplishment by performers for the year 1958.
• First Indian to get Grammy award wasPt Ravi Shankar in the year 1968 for his album ‘Wests Meets East’ in the Best Chamber Music Performance Category.

The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award:

• The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence is given in the field of Public Administration Academics & Management instituted from Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, New Delhi.
• The Award was started in 1999.

The Nobel Prize:

• The Nobel Prize is a set of annual international awards bestowed in a number of categories by Swedish and Norwegian institution in recognition of academic, cultural, and scientific advances.
• The will of the Swedish inventor Alfred Novel established the prizes in 1895. The prizes in Chemistry, Literature, Peace, Physics and Physiology or Medicine were first awarded in the year 1901.
• The prize ceremonies take place annually in Stockholm (With exception of the Peace Prize which is held in Oslo, Norway).
• Each recipient receives a gold medal a diploma and a sum of money that has been decided by the Nobel foundation.
• The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the Nobel prize in Physics, and Chemistry, the Novel Prize in Economics Sciences,the Nobel Assembly at Kolinsky Institute awards the Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine. The Swedish Academy grants the Nobel prize in Literature and the Novel Peace Prize is awarded not by Swedish Organization but by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
• The prize is not awarded posthumously however if a person is awarded a prize and dies before he receiving it the prize may still be present.
• The Nobel Foundation was founded as a private organization on 29 June 1900 its, function is to manage the finances and administration of the Nobel prize.

 

First Award:

In Physics (1901)

Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen

Discovery of remarkable rays subsequently named after him.

In Chemistry:

JocobusHenricusVan’t Hoff

For discovery of Laws of Chemical Dynamics and OsmoticPressure in soap.

In Medicine:

Emil Adolf von Behring

For his work on serum therapyespecially its application against diphtheria.

In Literature:

SulyPrudhomme

In special recognition of his poetic composition which gives evidence of lofty idealism, artistic perfection and a rare combination of the qualities of both heart and intellect.

In Peace:

Jean Henry Dunant

Frederic Passy

Economics:

 

 

 

Nari Shakti Puraskar:

• India’s highest civilian honor for women for their exceptional achievement.
• The awarded instituted in 1991 by the Government of India under Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• Annually given in 8^THMarch by the President of India.

 

Gold Man Award:

• The Goldman Environmental Prize is a prize awarded annually to grassroots Environmental activists one from each of the geographic regions i.e Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands or Island Nations, North America, &South Central America.
• It is also referred asGreen Nobel.
• The award is given by Goldman Environmental Foundation(HQ San Francisco, California).
• It is instituted in 1990 by Richard N. Goldman& his wife Rhoda H. Goldman.
• In 1992 Medha Patkarfrom India won this prestigious award associated with Narmada BachaoAndolan.

 

Takeda Award:

It is an Environment Award annually given by the Takeda Foundation, Japan.

 

Heinz Awards:

• The Heinz Awards are individual achievement honor given annually by the Heinz Family Foundation.
• The award was established in 1993 by Teresa Heinz.
• Heinz Awards each year recognizes outstanding individuals for their innovative contributions in five areas which include Arts & Humanities, Environment, Human Con’ Public Policy, Technology the Economy & Employment.

 

Pritzker Architecture Prize:

• Considered as the Nobel Prize of Architecture.
• It is awarded annually to honor a living architect who has produced consistent &significance contribution to the humanity and built environmental through the art of architecture.
• Founded in 1979 by Jay and Cindy Pritzker. It is considered to be one of the worlds primero architecture prize.
• First Indian to win this prestigious award was Balakrishna Doshi in 2018.

 

The Sophie Prize:

• It was an international Environment &Development Prize awarded annually from 1998 to 2013.
• It was instituted by Norwegian author JosteinGaarder in 1997.
• It aims to recognize individuals or organizations working with the environment & Sustainable development.

 

Global 500 Roll of Honor:

• The United National Environment Program (UNEP) established The Global 500 Roll of Honor in 1987 to recognize the environmental achievements of individuals and organization around the world.

 

Grantham Award:

• The Grantham Award was an annual journalism award of one journalist or a team of journalist for exemplary reporting on the environment.
• It was established by Jeremy Grantham.

 

The Chameli Devi Jain Award:

• The annual Chameli Devi Jain Award is the premier award for women mediapersons in India.
• It was first awarded in the year 1982.