Vir Chakra

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Vir Chakra
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Vir Chakra and its ribbon, the third highest military decoration of India
TypeMilitary medal
Awarded forActs of gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land or at sea or in the air.
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Presented byScript error: No such module "WikidataIB".
EligibilityMilitary Personnel Only
Post-nominalsVrC
StatusCurrently Awarded
First award1947
Final award15th August, 2025
Total awarded posthumously362
Total recipients1335 (As of 2023)[1]
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Precedence
Next (higher) Ati Vishisht Seva Medal[2]
Equivalent Shaurya Chakra[a][2]
Next (lower) Yudh Seva Medal[2]

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The Vir Chakra (pronunciation: ʋiːɾa tʃakɾa, Template:Lit) 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 Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.1+3⁄8inch 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
† 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]
Major HS Bains Indian Army 1948 1948 Operation Polo[11]
Brigadier Harbaksh Singh Indian Army 1 May 1948 1948 Operation Polo[11]
Lieutenant Colonel Girdhari Singh Indian Army 26 February 1948 1947 Indo-Pakistan War[12][13]
Subedar Major and Honorary Captain Bhim Chand Indian Army 23 August 1948 and 27 December 1948 (2) 1947 Indo-Pakistan War[14][15]
Air Vice Marshal Ranjan Dutt Indian Air Force 26 Jan 1950 1947 Indo-Pakistan War[16]
Major Tirath Singh Oberoi Indian Army 26 Jan 1950 1947 Indo-Pakistan War[17]
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[18]
Signalman DC Dhilan Indian Army 1963 1963
Havildar KG George Indian Army 1965 1965 Indo-Pakistan War[19]
Lieutenant General Zorawar Chand Bakshi Indian Army 05 Aug 1965 1965 Operation Ablaze[20]
Wing Commander Trevor Keelor Indian Air Force 03 Sep 1965 1965 Operation Riddle[21]
Flight Lieutenant Virendera Singh Pathania Indian Air Force 04 Sep 1965 1965 Operation Riddle[22][23]
Air Commodore Alfred Tyrone Cooke Indian Air Force 07 Sep 1965 1965 Operation Riddle[24]
Naib Subedar Ganesh Datt Indian Army 07 Sep 1965 1965 Indo-Pakistan War[19]
Wing Commander Amar Jit Singh Sandhu Indian Air Force 17 Sep 1965 1965 Indo-Pakistan War[25][26]
Lt Col (later Brig.) Russi Hormusji Bajina Indian Army 18 Sep 1965 1965 Operation Riddle
Air Marshal Denzil Keelor Indian Air Force 19 Sep 1965 1965 Operation Riddle[27]
Lieutenant General Mohammad Ahmad Zaki Indian Army 20 Sep 1965 1965 Operation Riddle[28]
Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas Indian Navy 01 Dec 1971 1971 Operation Cactus Lily[29]
Brigadier JK Tomar Indian Army 03 Dec 1971 1971 Operation Cactus Lily[30]
Lieutenant Colonel Satish Nambiar Indian Army 11 Dec 1971 1971 Indo-Pakistan War[31]
Brigadier P V Sahadevan Indian Army 16 Dec 1971 1971 Indo-Pakistan War[32]
Captain Prashant Kumar Ghosh Indian Army 1971 1971 Indo-Pakistan War[32]
Lieutenant Colonel Vikram Deuskar Indian Army 16 Dec 1971 1971 Indo-Pakistan War[33]
Captain Satish Chander Sehgal Indian Army, 75 Medium Regiment 16 Dec 1971 1971 Battle of Basantar[34]
Air Commodore Jasjit Singh Indian Air Force 17 Dec 1971 1971 Indo-Pakistan War[35]
Havildar Gurdev Singh Hans Indian Army 17 Dec 1971 1971 Indo-Pakistan War[36]
Squadron Leader Ramesh Chander Kohli Indian Air Force 17 Dec 1971 1971 Indo-Pakistan War[37]
Admiral Arun Prakash Indian Navy 21 Dec 1971 1971 Indo-Pakistan War[38]
Wing Commander Sukhdev Singh Dhillon Indian Air Force 17 Dec 1971 1971 Indo-Pakistan War[39]
Squadron Leader M A Ganapathy Indian Air force 1972 1971 Battle of Boyra[40]
Lance Daffadar Katar Singh 72 Armoured Regiment 1971 1971 Battle of Chhamb
Group Captain Donald ‘Don’ Lazarus Indian Air force 1972 1971 Battle of Boyra[41][42]
Flight Lieutenant Lawrence Frederic Pereira Indian Air force 26 Jan 1972 1971 Indo-Pakistan War[43]
Naik Naib Singh Gill Indian Army, 6 Sikh Regiment 26 Jan 1972 1971 Indo-Pakistan War[44]
Lieutenant General J.B.S. Yadava Indian Army, 11 Gorkha Rifles 15 August 1972 1971 Indo-Pakistan War[45]
Lieutenant General Francis Tiburtius Dias Indian Army 15 August 1972 1971 Indo-Pakistan War[46]
Major Ngangom Joy Dutta Singh Indian Army 26 Jan 1988 1987 Operation Pawan[47]
Major-General Dalvir Singh Indian Army 26 Jan 1988 1987 Jaffna University Helidrop[48]
Lieutenant Commander Deepak Agarwal Indian Navy 26 Jan 1988 1987 Operation Pawan[49]
Sepoy Kamkholam Kuki Indian Army, Assam Regiment 17 Dec 1989 1987 Operation Pawan[50]
Flight Lieutenant Abdul Naseer Hanfee[51] Indian Air Force, 128 Helicopter Unit 26 January 1989 1984 Operation Meghdoot[52]
Naik Kaushal Yadav † Indian Army, 9 PARA (SF) 26 July 1999 1999 Operation Vijay[53]
Captain Jintu Gogoi Indian Army, 18 Garhwal Rifles 15 Aug 1999 1999 Operation Vijay[54]
Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja† Indian Air Force 01 Jan 1999 1999 Operation Safed Sagar[55]
Colonel Magod Basappa Ravindranath Indian Army, 2 Rajputana Rifles 28 Jun 1999 1999 Battle of Tololing[56]
Lieutenant Colonel Ramakrishnan Vishwanathan Indian Army, 18 Grenadiers Jun 1999 1999 Battle of Tololing[57]
L/Havildar Ram Kumar Indian Army, 18 Grenadiers Jun 1999 1999 Battle of Tololing[58]
Major Mariappan Saravanan Indian Army, 1st Bihar Regiment 15 Aug 1999 1999 Operation Vijay[59]
Colonel Lalit Rai Indian Army, 1/11 GR 15 Aug 1999 1999 Operation Vijay[60]
Lieutenant Colonel Yogesh Kumar Joshi Indian Army, 13 JAK RIF 15 Aug 1999 1999 Operation Vijay[61]
Captain Sanjeev Singh Jamwal Indian Army, 13 JAK RIF 15 Aug 1999 1999 Operation Vijay[62]
Gunner Sanjeev Gopala Pillai Indian Army, 4 Medium Regiment 15 Aug 1999 1999 Operation Vijay[63]
Captain Vijyant Thapar Indian Army, 2 Rajputana Rifles 16 Dec 1999 1999 Operation Vijay[64]
L/Havildar Chuni Lal Indian Army, 8 JAK LI 30 Aug 2000 1999 Operation Vijay[65]
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman Indian Air Force 15 Aug 2019 2019 India-Pakistan Standoff[66]
Naib Subedar Nuduram Soren Indian Army, 16th Bihar Regiment 26 Jan 2021 2020 Operation Snow Leopard[67]
Naik Deepak Singh Indian Army, 16th Bihar Regiment 26 Jan 2021 2020 Operation Snow Leopard[68]
Sepoy Gurtej Singh Indian Army, 3rd Punjab Regiment 26 Jan 2021 2020 Operation Snow Leopard[69]
Havildar Mangal Singh sisodiya Indian Army 4 April 1971 1971 Indo-Pakistan War[70]
Group Captain Ranjeet Singh Sidhu Indian Air Force 15 August 2025 2025 Operation Sindoor[71]
Group Captain Manish Arora Indian Air Force 15 August 2025 2025 Operation Sindoor[71]
Group Captain Animesh Patni Indian Air Force 15 August 2025 2025 Operation Sindoor[71]
Group Captain Kunal Kalra Indian Air Force 15 August 2025 2025 Operation Sindoor[71]
Wing Commander Joy Chandra Indian Air Force 15 August 2025 2025 Operation Sindoor[71]
Squadron Leader Sarthak Kumar Indian Air Force 15 August 2025 2025 Operation Sindoor[71]
Squadron Leader Siddhant Singh Indian Air Force 15 August 2025 2025 Operation Sindoor[71]
Squadron Leader Rizwan Malik Indian Air Force 15 August 2025 2025 Operation Sindoor[71]
Flight Lieutenant Aarshveer Singh Thakur Indian Air Force 15 August 2025 2025 Operation Sindoor[71]

Notes

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  1. ^ Though the Shaurya Chakra is placed below the Vir Chakra in the precedence, it is considered as a peacetime equivalent of Vir Chakra.

References

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  62. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Captain Sanjeev Singh Jamwal". Gallantry Awards.
  63. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Gunner Sanjeev Gopala Pillai". Gallantry Awards.
  64. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Captain Vijyant Thapar". Gallantry Awards.
  65. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Havildar Chuni Lal". Gallantry Awards.
  66. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman". Gallantry Awards.
  67. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Naib Subedar Nuduram Soren". Gallantry Awards.
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Further reading

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