Vir Chakra Explained

Vir Chakra
Presenter:	Republic of India
Country:	Republic of India
Type:	Medal
Eligibility:	Military Personnel Only
Awarded For:	Acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land or at sea or in the air.
Status:	Currently Awarded
Post-Nominals:	VrC
Firstawarded:	1947
Lastawarded:	2021
Total Awarded Posthumously:	362
Total Recipients:	1335 ^[1]
Higher:	Ati Vishisht Seva Medal^[2]
Same:	Shaurya Chakra
Lower:	Yudh Seva Medal

The Vir Chakra (pronunciation: ʋiːɾa tʃakɾa,) is an Indian wartime military bravery award presented for acts of gallantry on the battlefield, on land or in the air or at sea.^[3]

It is third in precedence in wartime gallantry awards and comes after the Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra.^[4]

Origin

It was established by the President of India on 26 January 1950 (with effect from 15 August 1947). The statutes were amended on 12 January 1952 to readjust the order of wearing as new decorations were established.^[5]

It replaced the British Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), Military Cross (MC) and Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). Award of the decoration carries with it the right to use Vr.C. as a postnominal abbreviation [note the care to distinguish this abbreviation from that for the [[Victoria Cross]] (V.C.)

Appearance

The medal is inch circular silver medal.^[6] A five 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 almost always named and dated on the edge. Around a plain centre, two legends are separated by lotus flowers; with Vir Chakra in Hindi above and in English below. The ribbon is 32 mm, half dark blue and half orange-saffron; dark blue 16 mm, saffron 16 mm.^[7]

The award carries with it a cash allowance and, in some cases, a lump sum cash award. This has been a rather controversial issue throughout the life of the decoration. From 1 February 1999, the central government set a monthly stipend of Rs. 850 for recipients of the award. In addition, many states have established individual pension rewards for the recipients of the decoration.

List of Vir Chakra recipients

A total of 1327 personnel received Vir Chakra. Some of the notable Vir Chakra awardees include:^[8]

Key

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†

Indicates posthumous honour

Rank	Recipient	Service	Date
Lieutenant	TGN Pai	Indian Army	1950	1947 Indo-Pakistan War^[9]
Jemadar	Kanikasami	Indian Army	1947	1947 Indo-Pakistan War^[10]
Brigadier	Harbaksh Singh	Indian Army	1 May 1948	1948 Operation Polo^[11]
Subedar Major and Honorary Captain	Bhim Chand	Indian Army	23 August 1948 and 27 December 1948 (2)	1947 Indo-Pakistan War^[12] ^[13]
Air Vice Marshal	Ranjan Dutt	Indian Air Force	26 Jan 1950	1947 Indo-Pakistan War^[14]
Major	Tirath Singh Oberoi	Indian Army	26 Jan 1950	1947 Indo-Pakistan War^[15]
Major General	Ashwani Kumar Diwan	Indian Army	18 Nov 1962	1962 Sino-Indian War
Wing Commander	Krishan Kant Saini	Indian Air Force	18 Nov 1962	1962 Operation Leg Horn^[16]
Lieutenant General	Zorawar Chand Bakshi	Indian Army	05 Aug 1965	1965 Operation Ablaze^[17]
Wing Commander	Trevor Keelor	Indian Air Force	03 Sep 1965	1965 Operation Riddle^[18]
Flight Lieutenant	Virendera Singh Pathania	Indian Air Force	04 Sep 1965	1965 Operation Riddle^[19] ^[20]
Air Commodore	Alfred Tyrone Cooke	Indian Air Force	07 Sep 1965	1965 Operation Riddle^[21]
Naib Subedar	Ganesh Datt	Indian Army	07 Sep 1965	1965 Indo-Pakistan War^[22]
Wing Commander	Amar Jit Singh Sandhu	Indian Air Force	17 Sep 1965	1965 Indo-Pakistan War^[23] ^[24]
Air Marshal	Denzil Keelor	Indian Air Force	19 Sep 1965	1965 Operation Riddle^[25]
Lieutenant General	Mohammad Ahmad Zaki	Indian Army	20 Sep 1965	1965 Operation Riddle^[26]
Admiral	Laxminarayan Ramdas	Indian Navy	01 Dec 1971	1971 Operation Cactus Lily^[27]
Brigadier	JK Tomar	Indian Army	03 Dec 1971	1971 Operation Cactus Lily^[28]
Lieutenant Colonel	Satish Nambiar	Indian Army	11 Dec 1971	1971 Indo-Pakistan War^[29]
Brigadier	P V Sahadevan	Indian Army	16 Dec 1971	1971 Indo-Pakistan War^[30]
Lieutenant Colonel	Vikram Deuskar	Indian Army	16 Dec 1971	1971 Indo-Pakistan War^[31]
Captain	Satish Chander Sehgal	Indian Army, 75 Medium Regiment	16 Dec 1971	1971 Battle of Basantar^[32]
Air Commodore	Jasjit Singh	Indian Air Force	17 Dec 1971	1971 Indo-Pakistan War^[33]
Havildar	Gurdev Singh Hans	Indian Army	17 Dec 1971	1971 Indo-Pakistan War^[34]
Squadron Leader	Ramesh Chander Kohli	Indian Air Force	17 Dec 1971	1971 Indo-Pakistan War^[35]
Admiral	Arun Prakash	Indian Navy	21 Dec 1971	1971 Indo-Pakistan War^[36]
Wing Commander	Sukhdev Singh Dhillon	Indian Air Force	17 Dec 1971	1971 Indo-Pakistan War^[37]
Squadron Leader	M A Ganapathy	Indian Air force	1972	1971 Battle of Boyra^[38]
Group Captain	Donald ‘Don’ Lazarus	Indian Air force	1972	1971 Battle of Boyra^[39] ^[40]
Flight Lieutenant	Lawrence Frederic Pereira	Indian Air force	26 Jan 1972	1971 Indo-Pakistan War^[41]
Naik	Naib Singh Gill	Indian Army, 6 Sikh Regiment	26 Jan 1972	1971 Indo-Pakistan War^[42]
Lieutenant General	Francis Tiburtius Dias	Indian Army	15 August 1972	1971 Indo-Pakistan War^[43]
Major	Ngangom Joy Dutta Singh	Indian Army	26 Jan 1988	1987 Operation Pawan^[44]
Major-General	Dalvir Singh	Indian Army	26 Jan 1988	1987 Jaffna University Helidrop^[45]
Lieutenant Commander	Deepak Agarwal	Indian Navy	26 Jan 1988	1987 Operation Pawan^[46]
Sepoy	Kamkholam Kuki	Indian Army, Assam Regiment	17 Dec 1989	1987 Operation Pawan^[47]
Flight Lieutenant	Abdul Naseer Hanfee^[48]	Indian Air Force, 128 Helicopter Unit	26 January 1989	1984 Operation Meghdoot^[49]
	Jintu Gogoi	Indian Army, 18 Garhwal Rifles	15 Aug 1999	1999 Operation Vijay^[50]
Squadron Leader	Ajay Ahuja	Indian Air Force	01 Jan 1999	1999 Operation Safed Sagar^[51]
Colonel	Magod Basappa Ravindranath	Indian Army, 2 Rajputana Rifles	28 Jun 1999	1999 Battle of Tololing^[52]
Lieutenant Colonel	Ramakrishnan Vishwanathan	Indian Army, 18 Grenadiers	Jun 1999	1999 Battle of Tololing^[53]
L/Havildar	Ram Kumar	Indian Army, 18 Grenadiers	Jun 1999	1999 Battle of Tololing^[54]
Major	Mariappan Saravanan	Indian Army, 1st Bihar Regiment	15 Aug 1999	1999 Operation Vijay^[55]
Colonel	Lalit Rai	Indian Army, 1/11 GR	15 Aug 1999	1999 Operation Vijay^[56]
Lieutenant Colonel	Yogesh Kumar Joshi	Indian Army, 13 JAK RIF	15 Aug 1999	1999 Operation Vijay^[57]
Captain	Sanjeev Singh Jamwal	Indian Army, 13 JAK RIF	15 Aug 1999	1999 Operation Vijay^[58]
Gunner	Sanjeev Gopala Pillai	Indian Army, 4 Medium Regiment	15 Aug 1999	1999 Operation Vijay^[59]
Captain	Vijyant Thapar	Indian Army, 2 Rajputana Rifles	16 Dec 1999	1999 Operation Vijay^[60]
L/Havildar	Chuni Lal	Indian Army, 8 JAK LI	30 Aug 2000	1999 Operation Vijay^[61]
Wing Commander	Abhinandan Varthaman	Indian Air Force	15 Aug 2019	2019 India-Pakistan Standoff^[62]
Naib Subedar	Nuduram Soren	Indian Army, 16th Bihar Regiment	26 Jan 2021	2020 Operation Snow Leopard^[63]
Naik	Deepak Singh	Indian Army, 16th Bihar Regiment	26 Jan 2021	2020 Operation Snow Leopard^[64]
Sepoy	Gurtej Singh	Indian Army, 3rd Punjab Regiment	26 Jan 2021	2020 Operation Snow Leopard^[65]

Further reading

• Book: Cardozo . Ian . Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle . 2003 . Roli Books . New Delhi . 978-81-7436-262-9 . en.

External links

• Vir Chakra awardees, TWDI

Notes and References

1. Web site: Awardees . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170816111331/http://gallantryawards.gov.in/awardees-0 . 2017-08-16 . Gallantry Awards.
2. Web site: Precedence Of Medals. indianarmy.nic.in/. Indian Army. 9 September 2014.
3. Web site: TDA - The Defence Aspirant Academy . tdaacademy.in . 29 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221229110458/https://www.tdaacademy.in/blog/post/eyJpdiI6Ik54R3dzZ2R1RFhZTUgxT3duM2hCd2c9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoiaW5HbHFTM2drTnBPKy9nR2hlemk4dz09IiwibWFjIjoiNWRmZTg5OWMzZmJhN2JmMDJkYWNiNzUyNzc2ZmEyOGQ3NjQwYjc3MzY4OGY3Y2EyMjcyMzc1M2QzOWNkMTRkOCIsInRhZyI6IiJ9 . 29 December 2022.
4. Web site: Vir Chakra. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20021205055532/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Awards/awavrc.htm . 2002-12-05 .
5. News: Vir Chakra: India's Third Highest Gallantry Award .
6. https://www.gallantryawards.gov.in/assets/uploads/guidelines/rules-and-regulation-2020-10-141.pdf "Statutes and rules relating to the awards of the Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Air Chakra"
7. Web site: Bharat Raksahk Monitor: Volume 3(6) . Bharat-rakshak.com . 2013-07-10.
8. Web site: Awardees . 12 January 2023 . MoD, GOI.
9. Web site: Major TGN Pai . Gallantry Awards .
10. Web site: Jemadar Kanikasami . Gallantry Awards .
11. Web site: Brigadier Harbaksh Singh . Gallantry Awards .
12. Web site: Subedar Major and Hony Captain (then Subedar) BHIM CHAND . gallantryawards.gov.in.
13. Web site: Subedar Major and Honorary Captain (then Subedar) BHIM CHAND Vir Chakra . gallantryawards.gov.in.
14. Web site: Air Vice Marshal Ranjan Dutt . Gallantry Awards .
15. Web site: Major Tirath Singh Oberoi . Gallantry Awards . twdi.in.
16. Web site: Wing Commander Krishan Kant Saini . Gallantry Awards .
17. Web site: Lieutenant General Zorawar Chand Bakshi . Gallantry Awards .
18. Web site: Wing Commander Trevor Keelor . Gallantry Awards .
19. Web site: Flight Lieutenant Virendera Singh Pathania . Gallantry Awards .
20. Web site: Group Captain Virendera Singh Pathania.
21. Web site: Air Commodore Alfred Tyrone Cooke . Gallantry Awards .
22. Web site: Naib Subedar Ganesh Datt . Gallantry Awards .
23. Web site: Wing Commander Amarjit Singh Sandhu . Gallantry Awards .
24. Web site: Service Record for Wing Commander Amar Jit Singh Sandhu 4705 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com . 2022-07-14 . Bharat Rakshak . en-gb.
25. Web site: Air Marshal Denzil Keelor . Gallantry Awards .
26. Web site: Lieutenant General Mohammad Ahmad Zaki . Gallantry Awards .
27. Web site: Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas . Gallantry Awards .
28. Web site: Brigadier JK Tomar . Gallantry Awards .
29. Web site: Lieutenant Colonel Satish Nambiar . Gallantry Awards .
30. Web site: Brigadier P V Sahadevan . Gallantry Awards .
31. Web site: Lieutenant Colonel Vikram Denkar . Gallantry Awards .
32. Web site: Captain Satish Chander Sehgal . Gallantry Awards .
33. Web site: Air Commodore Jasjit Singh . Gallantry Awards .
34. Web site: Havildar Gurdev Singh . Gallantry Awards .
35. Web site: Squadron Leader Ramesh Chander Kohli . Gallantry Awards .
36. Web site: Admiral Arun Prakash . Gallantry Awards .
37. Web site: Wing Commander Sukhdev Singh Dhillon . Gallantry Awards .
38. Web site: Squadron Leader M A Ganapathy . Gallantry Awards .
39. Web site: Group Captain Donald ‘Don’ Lazarus . Gallantry Awards .
40. Web site: In 1971, the Indian Air Force shot down 3 Pakistani planes within 3 minutes . https://web.archive.org/web/20210803121408/https://guardingindia.com/pakistan/in-1971-the-indian-air-force-shot-down-3-pakistani-planes-within-3-minutes/ . 2021-08-03.
41. Web site: Flight Lieutenant Lawrence Frederic Pereira . Gallantry Awards .
42. Web site: Naik Naib Singh Gill . Gallantry Awards .
43. Web site: Lieutenant-General Francis Tiburtius Dias . Gallantry Awards .
44. Web site: VrC Major Ngangom Joy Dutta Singh . Gallantry Awards .
45. Web site: Major General Dalvir Singh . Gallantry Awards .
46. Web site: Lieutenant Commander Deepak Agarwal . Gallantry Awards .
47. Web site: Vir Chakra (VrC) Awardee: Nk Kamkholam Kuki, VrC .
48. Web site: Vir Chakra Awardee Capt Abdul Naseer Flew MI-17 Tirelessly to Help India Win Siachen in 1987. 11 November 2017.
49. Web site: Flight Lieutenant Abdul Naseer Hanfee . Gallantry Awards .
50. Web site: Captain Jintu Gogoi . Gallantry Awards .
51. Web site: Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja . Gallantry Awards .
52. Web site: Colonel Magod Basappa Ravindranath . Gallantry Awards .
53. Web site: Lieutenant Colonel Ramakrishnan Vishwanathan . Gallantry Awards .
54. Web site: L/Havildar Ram Kumar . Gallantry Awards .
55. Web site: Major Mariappan Saravanan . Gallantry Awards .
56. Web site: Colonel Lalit Rai . Gallantry Awards .
57. Web site: Lt Col Yogesh Kumar Joshi . Gallantry Awards .
58. Web site: Captain Sanjeev Singh Jamwal . Gallantry Awards .
59. Web site: Gunner Sanjeev Gopala Pillai . Gallantry Awards .
60. Web site: Captain Vijyant Thapar . Gallantry Awards .
61. Web site: Havildar Chuni Lal . Gallantry Awards .
62. Web site: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman . Gallantry Awards .
63. Web site: Naib Subedar Nuduram Soren . Gallantry Awards .
64. Web site: Naik Deepak Singh . Gallantry Awards .
65. Web site: Sepoy Gurtej Singh . Gallantry Awards .