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All the facts you want to know about Param Vir Chakra (PVC) and its recipients:
Hello folks, every country embrace the brave people of their country by felicitating them with certain honors or awards after all their deeds are very worthy for the pride and respect of the country.
For instance be it the ‘Medal of Honor’ of the USA, or be it the ‘Cross of Honor’ in Germany.
India also confers its brave citizens with different honors. The most supreme gallantry award conferred by India during wartime is the ‘Param Vir Chakra’.
The blog will particularly cover all the fact you want to know about the Param Vir Chakra.
Facts about the Param Vir Chakra:
- The Param Vir Chakra is the equivalent and analogous to British Empires Victoria Cross which it replaced post-Independence.
- The Param Vir Chakra was basically designed by Savitri Khanolkar, an Army wife. She also designed the other medals like the Mahavir Chakra, the Vir Chakra, and the peacetime gallantry awards that is the Ashoka Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, and the Shaurya Chakra.
- The Param Vir Chakra had been awarded a total of 21 times in India, for the display of supreme valor during wartime.
- Of the 21 PVC’s, by and large 20 have been from the Indian Army and one has been from the Indian Air Force.
- The first PVC was awarded on 3rd November 1947 to Maj. Somnath Sharma posthumously in view of his exemplary courage.
- It was last awarded in the back on 15th Aug 1999 to Capt. Vikram Batra.
- Out of the 21 recipients, 14 recipients were awarded the PVC posthumously.
- However, the 7 living recipients of PVC include Maj. Rama Raghoba Rane, Lance Naik Karam Singh, Major Dhan Singh Thapa, Major Hoshiar Singh, Subedar Major Bana Singh, Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav, and Rifleman Sanjay Kumar.
- The PVC is made up of bronze with an emblem marked in the center as can be seen.
- The next higher award to PVC is the Bharat Ratna while its next lower is the Maha Vir Chakra.
- Presently the only recipient of PVC from Indian Air Force is Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon.
- Moreover, the rest of the 20 PVC’s are all from the Indian Army.
- The unit having the most PVC, as a matter of fact, is the Grenadiers having 3 PVC’s.
- Whereas the 1 Sikh Regiment has 2 PVC’s namely Karam Singh and Joginder Singh.
- The highest rank to be awarded PVC is Lieutenant Colonel i.e. Lt. Col AB Tarapore.
- The youngest recipient of PVC (Officer) was 2nd Lt Arun Khetrapal when he was only 21 years old.
Following is a list of all the 21 recipients of Param Vir Chakra:
| NAME | RANK | UNIT | PLACE | DATE OF ACTION |
| Somnath Sharma | Major | Kumaon Regiment | Badgam, J&K | 3rd November 1947 |
| Jadunath Singh | Naik | Rajput Regiment | Tain Dhar, J&K | 6th February 1948 |
| Rama Raghoba Rane | 2nd Lieutenant | Bombay Sappers | Naushera, J&K | 8th April 1948 |
| Piru Singh Shekhawat | Company Havildar Master | Rajputana Rifles | Tithwal, J&k | 17th July 1948 |
| Karam Singh | Lance Naik | Sikh Regiment | Tithwal, J&K | 13th October 1948 |
| Gurbachan Singh Salaria | Captain | 1 Gurkha Rifles | Katanga, Congo | 5th December 1961 |
| Dhan Singh Thapa | Major | 8 Gurkha Rifles | Sirijap, Ladakh, J&K | 20th October 1962 |
| Joginder Singh | Subedar | Sikh Regiment | Tongpen La, NEFA, India | 23rd October 1962 |
| Shaitan Singh | Major | Kumaon Regiment | Rezang La, J&K | 18th November 1962 |
| Abdul Hamid | Company Quarter Master Havildar | The Grenadiers | Khemkaran, India | 10th September 1965 |
| Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore | Lieutenant Colonel | Poona Horse | Phillora, Sialkot, Pakistan | 11th September 1965 |
| Albert Ekka | Lance Naik | Brigade of Guards | Gangasagar, Agartala | 3rd December 1971 |
| Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon | Flying Officer | No. 18 Squadron IAF | Srinagar, J&K | 14th December 1971 |
| Arun Khetrapal | 2nd Lieutenant | Poona Horse | Jarpal, Shakargarh, Pakistan | 16th December 1971 |
| Hoshiar Singh | Major | The Grenadiers | Shakargarh, Pakistan | 17th December 1971 |
| Bana Singh | Naib Subedar | J&K Light Infantry | Siachen, J&K | 23rd May 1987 |
| Ramaswamy Parameshwaram | Major | Mahar Regiment | Jaffna, Sri Lanka | 25th November 1987 |
| Manoj Kumar Pandey | Lieutenant | 11 Gurkha Regiment | Jubar Top, Khalubar, J&K | 3rd July 1999 |
| Yogendra Singh Yadav | Grenadier | The Grenadiers | Tiger Hill, J&K | 4th July 1999 |
| Sanjay Kumar | Rifleman | J&K Rifles | Kargil, J&K | 5th July 1999 |
| Vikram Batra | Captain | J&K Rifles | Kargil, J&K | 5th July 1999 |
Hope you like the blog, in the ending lines I would like to share an incident from the SSB in addition to this blog.
When Lt. Manoj Pandey PVC went for his SSB Interview, the interviewer asked him a question that: “why you want to join Army?”
He replied straightaway and confidently (with this purpose in his mind): “Because I want to win a Param Vir Chakra”.
Folks, true to his word he won the PVC.
Hope these facts will help you surely in the long run. Stay tuned. Good Day.
