Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean

The Most Distinguished Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean is the highest distinct order of merit in the honours system of Mauritius. It was founded in 1992 to decorate people who have made a contribution to social progress in the nations of the Indian Ocean. It may be awarded to non-Mauritian citizens.[1][2]

Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean
Type	Order of merit
Country	Mauritius
Motto	Stella Clavisque Maris Indici (translated: Star and key of the Indian Ocean)
Awarded for	At the President's pleasure
Status	Currently constituted
Chancellor	President of the Republic of Mauritius
Grades	Grand Commander (GCSK) Grand Officer (GOSK) Commander (CSK) Officer (OSK) Member (MSK)
Precedence
Next (higher)	None
Next (lower)	President's Distinguished Service Medal
Ribbon bar of GCSK, GOSK, CSK Ribbon bar of OSK, MSK

Chancellor

The chancellor of the order is the President of the Republic of Mauritius. Each year on Independence day (12 March) the president of the republic appoints new members on the recommendation of the prime minister.

Labour Day has a special significance to the order as it relates to the hardship of people working for their country. On Labour Day 2007 the Malagasy President Marc Ramalomanana was appointed to the rank of Grand Commander, the highest rank of the order.[3]

Privileges

Recipients of the rank of Grand Officer or above are automatically entitled to prefix The Hon, Hons or The Honourable to their name. Commanders and Officers may request permission from the president to use this prefix. Recipients of the order who are not Mauritian citizens may not use the prefix or post-nominals unless granted permission by the president.

Composition

The Order comprises five classes, in descending order of seniority:[4]

• Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (GCSK)
• Grand Officer of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (GOSK)
• Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (CSK)
• Officer of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (OSK)
• Member of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (MSK)

Composition of the medal

GRAND OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF THE STAR AND KEY OF THE INDIAN OCEAN

The decoration shall be 3 mm thick in the form of a cross and made up of a circular central part and three sets of leaves: outer, middle, inner.

The outer leaves shall be of gold. The length from tip to tip of the outer leaves shall be 71mm.

The middle leaves shall be made of violet blue enamel (Group 98 Col of the Royal Horticultural Society colour chart), have pointed ends capped by beads, and be lined externally with gold 2mm thick. The length from head to bead (external) shall be 76 mm.

The inner leaves shall be in the shape of a cross with equal arms of blue enamel (Group 100D of the same colour chart) lined externally with gold 1mm thick. The length from tip to tip of the inner leaves shall be 65 mm.

The central part shall depict a ring of gold with outer diameter 26mm and inner diameter 20mm.

ON THE OBVERSE, to fit inside the ring, shall be embossed a Trochetia boutoniana flower in gold and on the ring the words GRAND OFFICER OF THE STAR & KEY.

ON THE REVERSE inside the ring, shall be embossed the coat of arms of the Republic of Mauritius and on the ring the words REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS.

The clasp shall be of gold.

The decoration shall be worn around the neck by a ribbon of old gold colour (yellow group 11 C of the same colour chart) 70 mm wide with the colours of the flag of Mauritius running vertically in the middle in segments each 4 mm wide.

The colours of the flag (from left to right) shall be as per the following British Standard Colour Code:

Red - 0.005

Blue - 7.086

Yellow - 0.001

Green - 0.010

Recipients

Grand Commanders of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (GCSK)

Name	Post-Nominals	Year Appointed
Cassam Uteem	GCSK	1993[5]
Karl Offmann	GCSK	2002[5]
Anerood Jugnauth	KCMG, GCSK, QC, PC	2003[5]
Paul Berenger	GCSK	2003[6]
Louis Serge Clair	GCSK	2003[7]
Premnath Ramnah	GCSK	2004[8]
Rameswurlall Basant Roi	GCSK	2004[8]
Jaya Krishna Cuttaree	GCSK	2005[9]
Sir Satcam Boolell (posthumous)	GCSK, Kt	2006[10]
Rashid Beebeejaun	GCSK, GOSK	2007[11]
Sir Ramesh Jeewoolall	GCSK, Kt	2007[11]
Marc Ravalomanana	GCSK	2008
Navinchandra Ramgoolam	GCSK	2008[12]
Xavier Luc Duval	GCSK	2009[13]
Rajkeswur Purryag	GCSK	2009[14]
Rama Sithanen	GCSK	2009
James Burty David (posthumous)	GCSK	2010[15]
Mohamed Nasheed	GCSK	2011[16]
James Alix Michel	GCSK	2012[17]
The Most Reverend Ian Ernest	GCSK	2019[18]

Grand Officers of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (GOSK)

Name	Post-Nominals	Year Appointed
The Hon Mookhesswur CHOONEE	GOSK	2014 [19]
The Hon Satya Veyash FAUGOO	GOSK	2014 [19]
Mr Bahim JEETOO	GOSK	2014 [19]
Mrs Soonita KISTAMAH	GOSK	2014 [19]
Mrs Marie Madeleine LEE	GOSK	2014 [19]
Mr Dharam Dev MANRAJ	GOSK	2014 [19]
Mr Marie Joseph Raymond MARRIER d’UNIENVILLE, Q.C.	GOSK	2014 [19]
Dr Sulleman MOREEA	GOSK	2014 [19]
Mr Marie Jacques Laval PANGLOSE	GOSK	2014 [19]
Dr Keyvoobalam PAUVADAY	GOSK	2014 [19]
Mr Geerja Shankar RAMDAURSINGH	GOSK	2014 [19]
Mr Rohit RAMNAWAZ	GOSK	2014 [19]
Mr Georges André ROBERT	GOSK	2014 [19]
Dr Georges TSANG KWONG HONG	GOSK	2014 [19]
BALGOBIN Mrs Lalita	GOSK	2013 [20]
BEEBEEJAUN Ahmud Ally	GOSK	2013 [20]
BUNDHUN Ved Prakash	GOSK	2013 [20]
CHEEROO Mahmood	GOSK	2013 [20]
COLONNA Piero Augusto	GOSK	2013 [20]
GUTTEE Rohit Narainsing	GOSK	2013 [20]
HAWOLDAR Dr Rihun Raj	GOSK	2013 [20]
HEIN Marc Raymond	GOSK	2013 [20]
KALACHAND Ashok Kumar Jai Krishen	GOSK	2013 [20]
LI WAN PO Philippe	GOSK	2013 [20]
NIRSIMLOO-GAYAN Mrs Sooryakanti	GOSK	2013 [20]
QUENETTE Louis Rivaltz	GOSK	2013 [20]
SACCARAM Kaleshwarao	GOSK	2013 [20]
SANGEELEE Dr Sattianathan	GOSK	2013[20]
SOOPRAYEN Soopramanien	GOSK	2013 [20]

References

1. Archived 8 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine
2. "Home". Gov.mu. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
3. "Government of Mauritius". Gov.mu. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
4. "National Awards Act, Act 53 of 1992" (PDF). http://attorneygeneral.gov.mu/. Attorney General's Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
5. "Former Presidents". http://president.gov.mu. Office of the President of the Republic of Mauritius. Archived from the original on 3 April 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
6. "Rodribues Debate No. 04 of 2003 Sitting of Tuesday 18 March 2003". Rodrigues Regional Assembly. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
7. "National Day Honours 2003". http://pmo.gov.mu. Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 4 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
8. "National Day Honours 2004". http://pmo.gov.mu. Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 4 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
9. "National Day Honours 2005". http://pmo.gov.mu. Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 4 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
10. "National Day Honours 2006". http://pmo.gov.mu. Prime Minister's Office. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
11. "National Day Honours 2007". http://pmo.gov.mu. Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 4 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
12. "National Day Honours 2008". http://pmo.gov.mu. Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 4 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
13. La Rédaction (17 April 2009). "L'AHRIM honore Xavier Luc Duval, G.C.S.K." La sentinelle (in French). Retrieved 4 November 2014. External link in |work= (help)
14. "Profile of the President". http://president.gov.mu/. Office of the President of Mauritius. Retrieved 4 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
15. "National Day Honours 2010". http://pmo.gov.mu. Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 4 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
16. Editor. "MAURITIUS AWARDS HIGHEST ORDER TO MALDIVES PRESIDENT". tnmv.net/. Travel News Maldives. Retrieved 4 November 2014.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
17. "National Day Honours 2012". http://pmo.gov.mu. Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 4 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
18. https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2019/03/president-of-mauritius-bestows-countrys-highest-honour-on-bishop-ian-ernest.aspx?fbclid=IwAR1-zLse86feswzE05WVi9X4tqiIDmkD69lpoec-bgj0_ThiXfyEhxcdKvE. Missing or empty |title= (help)
19. "National Day Honours 2014". http://pmo.gov.mu. Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 5 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
20. "National Day Honours 2013". http://pmo.gov.mu. Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 5 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)