Medals from India
Indian Civilian and Military Awards, Peacetime and War Gallantry Medals
Military and civilian medals from India encompass a diverse array of honors and decorations, reflecting the nation’s rich heritage and tradition of valor and service. These medals are bestowed upon individuals from both the armed forces and civilian sectors for acts of bravery, distinguished service, and contributions to society.
The Indian honors system gives awards to individuals for a variety of services to the Republic of India. It’s categorized into civilian and military awards (the military ones including Wartime and Peacetime Gallantry and Distinguished Services). You can see all of them in the galleries below.
Popular Indian Medals, Orders & Decorations
Explore the most renowned medals, orders, and decorations bestowed by India.
The Vayu Sena Medal
The Vayu Sena Medal is a gallantry award for servicemen in the Indian Air Force. It was instituted in 1960 and usually awarded in peacetime.
The Ashoka Chakra Decoration
The Ashoka Chakra Decoration was established in 1952 and is India’s highest peacetime military decoration awarded for valor.
The Vir Chakra Decoration
The Vir Chakra Decoration was established in 1950 and is awarded for wartime military bravery and acts of conspicuous gallantry.
The Param Vir Chakra Decoration
The Param Vir Chakra Decoration was established in 1950 and is awarded for displaying distinguished acts of valor during wartime.
The Bharat Ratna Award
The Bharat Ratna Award is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India, given for exceptional service. It was established in 1954.
Civilian Indian Medals and Awards
The highest Civilian award of India is the Bharat Ratna. It’s followed by the Padma awards, all instituted in 1954. These announced were announced, almost without exception, every year on Republic Day. In decreasing order of importance, the Padma awards are Vibhushan, Bhushan, and Shri. Unlike national honors, the Padma awards do not include cash benefits, suffixes, or special concessions. They are given for distinguished and exceptional achievements/service in all fields of activities/disciplines.
Military Indian Medals and Awards
The large majority of Indian military medals and decorations were created after the independence of the country, when the British honors and awards system in India informally came to an end. The new awards replaced in particular the British Distinguished Service Order (DSO), Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), Military Cross (MC) and Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).
