Kirti Chakra

The Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Maha Vir Chakra. It is second in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards; it comes after Ashoka Chakra and before Shaurya Chakra. Before 1967, the award was known as the Ashoka Chakra, Class II.

Kirti Chakra
Kirti Chakra and its ribbon, the second highest peacetime decoration of India
Type	Medal
Awarded for	Awarded for conspicuous gallantry otherwise than in the face of the enemy.[1]
Country	Republic of India
Presented by	Republic of India
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 Forces. Civilian Citizens of either sex in all walks of life and members of Police Forces including Central Para-Military Forces and Railway protection Force.[2]
Post-nominals	KC
Status	Currently Awarded
Established	1952
First awarded	1952
Last awarded	2019[3]
Total awarded posthumously	198
Total recipients	458 (As of 2017)[4]
Precedence
Next (higher)	Param Vishisht Seva Medal[5]
Equivalent	Maha Vir Chakra[5]
Next (lower)	Padma Shri[5]

History

Established as the "Ashoka Chakra, Class II" by the President of India, 4 January 1952 (with effect from 15 August 1947). The statutes were revised and the decoration renamed on 27 January 1967.

To understand the award better, a sample recipient would be No. 18161 Naik Mukhtiar Singh, 4 J. & K. Infantry (to date from 19 March 1956).

"On the night of 18/19 March 1956, the position occupied by our troops on the Bela at Hussainiwala Headworks, near Ferozepore on the Indo-Pakistani Border was attacked. Approximately one platoon of attackers managed to secure a foothold on the Bela from the left flank. On being ordered by his platoon commander to take his section to the threatened flank and stem the advance, No. 18161 Naik Mukhtiar Singh personally led his section through heavy automatic fire. He inflicted two casualties on the attackers, captured their rifles and led his section up to the right Guide Bund and secured his objective. Whilst his section was securing the objective on the Bund, a hand grenade landed near him in the midst of his section. To save his section, he lifted the grenade with his left hand and tried to throw it back on the attackers. The grenade exploded in the meantime and his left elbow was blown off. Though seriously wounded he continued to exhort his men to fight on and refused to be evacuated. No. 18161 Naik Mukhtiar Singh by his high example of personal leadership, courage and complete disregard for his personal safety averted a disaster to his section and to the Bela Position."[6]

Design

Medal : It is circular in shape and is made of standard silver, one and three eight inches in diameter.

Obverse : On the obverse of the medal shall be embossed a replica of Ashoka Chakra in the centre, surrounded by a lotus wreath.

Reverse :On its reverse shall be embossed the words KIRTI CHAKRA both in Hindi and in English the versions being separated by two lotus flowers.For pre-1967 awards, the medal is blank in the centre, with "Ashoka Chakra" in Hindi along the upper edge on the medal and the same name in English along the lower rim, "ASHOKA CHAKRA". On either side is a lotus design. The centre is blank, perhaps with the intent that details of the award be engraved there. There is no indication of the class on the pre-1967 awards. For the post-1967 awards, the, names are changed to "Kirti Chakra" in Hindi above and "KIRTI CHAKRA" below.

Ribbon : 30 mm, dark green with two 2 mm saffron stripes. Dark green 8.5 mm, saffron 2 mm, dark green 9 mm, saffron 2 mm, dark green 8.5 mm.

Bar : If a recipient of the Chakra again performs such an act of gallantry as would have made him or her eligible to receive the Chakra, such further act of bravery shall be recognised by a Bar to be attached to the riband by which the Chakra is suspended. For every Bar awarded, a replica of the Chakra in miniature shall be added to the riband when worn alone.

Eligibility

Personnel Eligible: The following categories of personnel shall be eligible for the Chakra :-

• 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 Armed Forces.
• Members of the Nursing Services of the Armed Forces.
• Civilian citizens of either sex in all walks of life and members of Police Forces including Central Para-Military Forces and Railway Protection Force.

Conditions of Eligibility: The medal is awarded for conspicuous gallantry otherwise than in the face of the enemy. The decoration may be awarded posthumously. Monetary Allowance. Rs. 1050/- pm and each bar to the decoration will carry the same amount of monetary allowance as admissible to the original award with effect from 01.02.1999.

Recipients

Number	Rank	Name	Regiment	Date	Notes
	Major	Tushar Gauba Prakash jadhav	20 Jat	2019
	Major	Vijayant Bisht	4 Jak LI	2018	MAJOR VIJAYANT BISHT, 4TH BATTALION THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR LIGHT INFANTRY
	Sawar	Vijay Kumar	Indian Army	2019
IC-63798F	Major	Rohit Suri	4 Para (SF)	2017	[7]
IC-42851N	2 Lt	Pradipta Narayan Mohapatra	14 Sikh Light Infantry	1986	[8]
5047749K	Havaldar	Prem Bahadur Resmi Magar	3/1 Gorkha Rifles	2016	Posthumous[7]
	BSF Officer	Narindra Nath Dhar Dubey		2012
	MAJ	JS Tanwar	32 RR
IC-70886	LT	Vikas Sharma	6 PARA	2011	[9]
IC-61562	Captain	Vishal Bhandral	Garhwal Rifles, 14 RR	2007	Posthumous
	Havaldar	Premnath Rai	EME, 833 ARMD WKSP, 618 EME BN	1989	Posthumous
IC-54327	Major	Manish Hiraji Pitambare	3 Para (SF)	2007	Posthumous
IC-47050	COL	Gurbir Singh Sarna	GDRS, 29 RR (Indian Army)	2007[10]	Posthumous
SS-39680	Maj	James Thomas	10 Sikh Light Infantry	2006	Posthumous
	Captain	R Subramanian	1 Para (SF)	2001	Posthumous[11]
	SR CD GUNNER	N Kelman	Indian Navy	1962	[12]
67103	ORD S/M	Bachan Singh	Indian Navy	1962	[12]
66901	ORD S/M	VPS Tomar	Indian Navy	1962	[12] Brig. Ransher Singh Ranawat (Kankarwa, Mewar), 9th Brigade of the Guards, 1971 Indo-Pak war
49416	PO TAS I	GUR IQBAL SINGH (P)	Indian Navy	1974
04988-K	LT CDR	Abhilash Tomy	Indian Navy	2013
	Wing Commander	Ravish Malhotra	Indian Air Force	1984
	SP	Vinod Kumar Choubey	Indian Police Service	2009	Posthumous[13]
IC - 51821	Major	Ajay Kothiyal	4 Garhwal Rifles	2004	[14]
IC - 52871	Lt. Col.	Saurabh Singh Shekhawat	21 SF Para	2009	[15]
	IPS	Ajit Doval	Indian Police Service	1988
	Inspector	Lohit Sonowal	Assam Police Commando Battalion	2013	Posthumous
	IFS Officer	Pandillapalli Srinivas	Special task force - Veerappan	1992	Posthumous
	Lieutenant	Bharani Prakash	5 Jak LI	2000
IC-67270F	Major	Anup Joseph Manjali	Bihar Regiment/24th Battalion, The Rashtriya Rifles	2012	[16][17]
IC-70971	Captain	Vikrant Ajit Deshmukh	8 Madras	2011	[18][19]
IC-65454F	Major	Mahesh Kumar	(SM, PUNJAB, 22 RR )Indian Army	2013	[20]
SS-43887Y	Major	David Manlun	THE NAGA REGIMENT, 164 INFANTRY BATTALION (TERRITORIAL ARMY) (HOME & HEARTH) NAGA	2017	Posthumous[21][22]
IC-52777	Major	Avinash Singh Bhadauria	( MADRAS, 8 RR ) Indian Army	2002	Posthumous[23]
25107 F(P)	Wing Commander	Darryl Castelino	Indian Air Force	2013	Posthumous[24]
	Havildar	Badri Lal Lunawat	10 Para (SF)	1998[25]
	Wing Commander	Balakrishna Pillai Sreebhavan Krishnakumar	Indian Airforce	2005[26]

Wing Commander Nedyam Bhaskar Menon Indian Airforce Award Date 28 Jan 1956 [27]

Trivia

Only one Soldier has been awarded both the Kirti Chakra and the Ashok Chakra, making him the most decorated soldier (for bravery) in India; Col N. J. Nair, 16 MLI.

Outline:

• Ashoka Chakra, Class II (1952–67)
• Kirti Chakra (1967--)

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRQ99muZKcA
4. "Awardees - Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
5. "Precedence Of Medals". indianarmy.nic.in/. Indian Army. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
6. No. 4-Pres/57 of 26 January 1957, in Gazette of India, part I, section 1, 26 January 1957, p. 22.
7. "List of Awardees 2017" (PDF). Pibphoto.nic.in. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
8. "AWARDEES - KIRTI CHAKRA - Gallantry Awards". Gallantryawards.gov.in. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
9. "AWARDEES - KIRTI CHAKRA - Gallantry Awards". Gallantryawards.gov.in. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
11. "CAPT R SUBRAMANIAN KIRTI CHAKRA (Posthumous)". Gallantry Awards. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
13. "Press Information Bureau". Pib.nic.in. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
14. "AJAY KOTHIYAL, SC". Gallantryawards.gov.in. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
15. "LT COL SAURABH SINGH SHEKHAWAT, SC, SM, VSM".
16. "Major Anup Joseph awarded Kirti Chakra". Thehindu.com. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
17. "Republic Day 2013 Gallantry Awards". Stratpost.com. 26 January 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
18. "President presents gallantry awards to defence personnel". Thehindu.com. 19 April 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
19. "Army Roll of Honor". Stratpost.com. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
20. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 16 August 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
21. "DAVID MANLUN - Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
22. "President honours Major David Manlun of the Naga Regiment with Kirti Chakra". YouTube. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
23. "MAJ AVINASH SINGH BHADAURIA - Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
24. http://gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/wing-commander-darryl-castelino
25. "HAV BADRI LAL LUNAWAT KIRTI CHAKRA". Gallantry Awards. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
26. "WING COMMANDER BALAKRISHNA PILLAI SREEBHAVAN KRISHNA KUMAR KIRTI CHAKRA". Retrieved 10 November 2019.
27. http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/2994

External links

• Kirti Chakra at Indian Army website
• Kirtichakra Medal
• Bharat Rakshak Article on Kirti Chakra