| Name | Param Vir Chakra (PVC) |
|---|---|
| Award For | Most conspicuous bravery in the presence of the enemy |
| Award By | Republic of India |
| First Award | 3rd November 1947 |
| First Awardee | Major Somnath Sharma |
| Last Award | 7th July 1999 |
| Last Awardee | Captain Vikram Batra |
| Total Awarded | 21 |
| Status | active |
| Official URL | https://www.warb-mha.gov.in/ |
The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest military decoration, awarded for exceptional bravery and self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy. It is equivalent to the British Victoria Cross, the US Medal of Honor, the French Legion of Honor, and the Russian Cross of St. George. This prestigious award can be conferred posthumously.
Introduced on 26th January 1950, the Param Vir Chakra translates to the "Wheel of the Ultimate Brave." In Sanskrit, "Param" means ultimate, "Vir" (pronounced veer) means brave, and "Chakra" means wheel.
The award is open to officers, men, and women of all ranks from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, including Reserve Forces, Territorial Army, Militia, and other lawfully constituted Armed Forces. Recipients receive a monthly allowance of ₹3,000, with an additional ₹3,000 per bar for subsequent awards.
After India became independent, the British system of military awards was no longer used. However, during the Jammu and Kashmir conflict, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru decided that India needed its own bravery awards for soldiers. Since both India and Pakistan could still give British awards, leaders felt it was not right to honor soldiers from opposing forces with the same medals.
So, in June 1948, India created three new awards for bravery in war:
Nehru asked Major General Hira Lal Atal, India's first Adjutant General, to organize the PVC. He asked Savitri Khanolkar, the wife of Major Vikram Khanolkar of the Sikh Regiment, to design the medal. Coincidentally, the first-ever Param Vir Chakra was given to Major Somnath Sharma, who was married to the daughter of Savitri Khanolkar.
This Winners List features 21 winners of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), from 1947 to 1999.
| Image | Recipient Name | Date of Birth | Military Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Brigadier Yogendra Singh Yadav
|
1980-05-10 | The Grenadiers |
|
Flying Officer Abdul Hamid
|
1933-07-01 | The Grenadiers |
|
Major Somnath Sharma
|
1923-01-31 | Kumaon Regiment |
|
Sepoy Hoshiar Singh Dahiya
|
1936-05-05 | The Grenadiers |
|
Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria
|
1935-11-29 | 1 Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment) |
|
Havildar Sanjay Kumar
|
1976-03-03 | Jammu and Kashmir Rifles |
|
Naib Subedar Ardeshir Tarapore
|
1923-08-18 | Poona Horse |
|
Naik Jadunath Singh
|
1916-11-21 | Rajput Regiment |
|
Jemadar Bana Singh
|
1949-01-06 | Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAK LI) |
|
Subedar Dhan Singh Thapa
|
1928-04-28 | 8 Gorkha Rifles |
|
Subedar Major Vikram Batra
|
1974-09-09 | Jammu and Kashmir Rifles |
|
Lieutenant Albert Ekka
|
1942-12-27 | Brigade of the Guards |
|
Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane
|
1918-06-26 | Bombay Sappers (Bombay Engineer Group) |
|
Colonel Ramaswamy Parameshwaran
|
1946-09-13 | Mahar Regiment |
|
Company Quarter Master Havildar Joginder Singh
Also won:
Ashok Chakra (AC)
|
1921-09-26 | Sikh Regiment |
|
Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon
|
1945-07-17 | No. 18 Squadron IAF |
|
Company Havildar Major Piru Singh
|
1918-05-20 | Rajputana Rifles |
|
Shri Manoj Kumar Pandey
|
1975-06-25 | 11 Gorkha Rifles |
|
Lieutenant Colonel Shaitan Singh
|
1924-12-01 | Kumaon Regiment |
|
Rifleman Arun Khetarpal
|
1950-10-14 | Poona Horse |
|
Lance Naik Karam Singh
|
1915-09-15 | Sikh Regiment |
This chart groups 21 Param Vir Chakra (PVC) winners by Military Unit, across 15 distinct entries — The Grenadiers leads with 3 wins.
The medal was designed by Savitri Khanolkar (a European-born Indian national) in 1950. She was approached by Major General Hira Lal Atal to create a design that would symbolize India's highest standard of supreme sacrifice.
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