Context– President Droupadi Murmu recently conferred eight Kirti Chakras of which five were posthumous and 29 Shaurya chakras including five posthumous to the personnel of armed forces,Central armed police forces and state/Union territory Police at the Defence Investiture ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Key Highlights:
- The President being the supreme commander of the armed forces conferred these awards.
- Kirti Chakra being the second highest and Shaurya Chakra being the third highest peacetime gallantry awards were conferred on the occasion.
- Of the eight Kirti chakras, three went to the Indian Army, three to the Chhattisgarh police and one each to the BSF-Border Security force and J&K police.
- All the posthumously awarded Shaurya chakras were conferred to the officers and soldiers of the army.
- Three personnel, including one of the Major rank, from the Army’s Rashtriya rifles were conferred the Kirti chakra.
- A group of personnel form the Army, Air force and Navy rendering service under the Ministry of Home Affairs were conferred the Shaurya Chakra.
About gallantry Awards:
- The Gallantry awards under the Ministry of defence were instituted by the Government of India on 26th January 1950 with the first three gallantry awards namely, Param Vir Chakra, Mahavir Chakra and Vir Chakra which were deemed to be effective from 15th august 1947.
- Thereafter other three gallantry awards like the Ashoka Chakra of class I, II And III were instituted in 1952 and in January 1967 these three awards were renamed as the Ashoka Chakra,Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra with Ashoka being the highest peacetime gallantry Awards.
- The gallantry awards are of two categories Wartime( Param Vir Chakra, Mahavir Chakra and Vir Chakra) and Peacetime awards (Ashoka Chakra,Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra).
- These awards were given for display of conspicuous gallantry , indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty.
- The awards are announced twice in a year, one on the Republic day and one on Independence day at Rajpath on which only the Param Vir and Ashoka Chakra are awarded to the awardees/ Next -of-kins (NoKs).
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