Study Guide · Chapter 3
Gallantry Awards — Wartime and Peacetime
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India's military and civilian gallantry awards split into wartime and peacetime categories, each with three descending tiers:
| Award | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Param Vir Chakra | Wartime — highest | India's highest military decoration, for the "rarest of rare" gallantry in the presence of the enemy; instituted 1950 |
| Maha Vir Chakra | Wartime — 2nd highest | Conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy |
| Vir Chakra | Wartime — 3rd highest | Gallantry in the presence of the enemy |
| Ashoka Chakra | Peacetime — highest | India's highest peacetime gallantry award, equivalent in stature to the Param Vir Chakra; instituted 1952 |
| Kirti Chakra | Peacetime — 2nd highest | Conspicuous gallantry away from the battlefield |
| Shaurya Chakra | Peacetime — 3rd highest | Gallantry, not in the face of the enemy |
Additional distinguished-service military decorations include the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, for distinguished service of an exceptional order.
Memory hook: "Param/Maha/Vir" for war, "Ashoka/Kirti/Shaurya" for peace — the wartime set literally has "Vir" (valour) baked into all three names, while the peacetime set is named after three separate emblems (the Ashoka Chakra wheel, kirti = fame, shaurya = bravery).
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