# Awards and decorations of the Indian Armed Forces

The Armed Forces of India are eligible for many military decorations awarded for extraordinary bravery and distinguished service during times of war and peace. Service and campaign medals have been awarded throughout India's history as an independent state.
Post-nominal letters for wartime gallantry decorations were approved when those decorations were created in 1950. Until 27 January 1967, when they received their present names, the two lower peacetime gallantry decorations and the two higher peacetime distinguished service medals were respectively distinct classes of the Ashoka Chakra and the Vishisht Seva Medal. Post-nominals for peacetime gallantry, peacetime distinguished service and branch distinguished service awards were approved in August 1967.

## Military medals

Decorations for precedence:

### Wartime gallantry awards

* Param Vir Chakra (PVC)
* Maha Vir Chakra (MVC)
* Vir Chakra (VrC)

### Peacetime gallantry awards

* Ashok Chakra (AC)
* Kirti Chakra (KC)
* Shaurya Chakra (SC)

### Wartime distinguished service medals

* Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal (SYSM)
* Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM)
* Yudh Seva Medal (YSM)

### Peacetime distinguished service medals

* Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM)
* Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM)
* Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM)

### Branch distinguished service medals

* Sena Medal (Army) (SM)
* Nau Sena Medal (Navy) (NM)
* Vayu Sena Medal (Air Force) (VM)

## Service and campaign medals

* Wound Medal
* General Service Medal
* Samanya Seva Medal
* Special Service Medal
* Samar Seva Star
* Poorvi Star
* Paschimi Star
* Operation Vijay Star
* Siachen Glacier Medal
* Raksha Medal
* Sangram Medal
* Operation Vijay Medal
* Operation Parakram Medal
* Sainya Seva Medal
* High Altitude Medal
* Videsh Seva Medal

## Long service awards

* Meritorious Service Medal
* Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
* 30 Years Long Service Medal
* 20 Years Long Service Medal
* 9 Years Long Service Medal
* Territorial Army Decoration
* Territorial Army Medal

## Independence medals

* Indian Independence Medal
* 75th Independence Anniversary Medal
* 50th Independence Anniversary Medal
* 25th Independence Anniversary Medal

## Mention in Dispatches

Mention in Dispatches has been used since 1947, in order to recognize distinguished and meritorious service in operational areas and acts of gallantry which are not of a sufficiently high order to warrant the grant of gallantry awards.
Eligible personnel include all Army, Navy and Air Force personnel including personnel of the Reserve Forces, Territorial Army, Militia and other lawfully constituted Armed Forces, members of the Nursing Service and Civilians working under or with the Armed Forces.
Personnel can be mentioned in dispatches posthumously and multiple awards are also possible. A recipient of a Mention in a Despatch is entitled to wear an emblem, in the form of a lotus leaf on the ribbon of the relevant Campaign Medal. They are also issued with an official certificate from the Ministry of Defence.

## Commendation Card

All three branches of the military issue Commendation Cards, which are badges awarded for "individual acts of gallantry or distinguished service or devotion to duty performed either in operation or non-operational areas. It is a type of gallantry award. The award will be for a specific act of bravery or distinguished service or special service. The award will not be made posthumously."
All three branches issue Commendations Cards at the level of the highest officer (Chief of the Army Staff, Chief of the Naval Staff and Chief of the Air Staff). Additionally, Chief of Defence Staff also issues the Commendation Cards. The awards at lower levels seem to vary between services.

## Order of wearing

The various decorations and medals are worn in the following order:
| Precedence | Award Name |
| 1 | Bharat Ratna |
| 2 | Param Vir Chakra |
| 3 | Ashoka Chakra |
| 4 | Padma Vibhushan |
| 5 | Padma Bhushan |
| 6 | Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal |
| 7 | Param Vishisht Seva Medal |
| 8 | Maha Vir Chakra |
| 9 | Kirti Chakra |
| 10 | Padma Shri |
| 11 | Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak |
| 12 | Uttam Yudh Seva Medal |
| 13 | Ati Vishisht Seva Medal |
| 14 | Vir Chakra |
| 15 | Shaurya Chakra |
| 16 | Yudh Seva Medal |
| 17 | Sena Medal (for army personnel) |
| 17 | Nau Sena Medal (for navy personnel) |
| 17 | Vayu Sena Medal (for air force personnel) |
| 18 | Vishisht Seva Medal |
| 19 | Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak |
| 20 | Wound Medal |
| 21 | General Service Medal |
| 22 | Samanya Seva Medal |
| 23 | Special Service Medal |
| 24 | Samar Seva Star |
| 25 | Poorvi Star |
| 26 | Paschimi Star |
| 27 | Operation Vijay Star |
| 28 | Siachen Glacier Medal |
| 29 | Raksha Medal |
| 30 | Sangram Medal |
| 31 | Operation Vijay Medal |
| 32 | Operation Parakram Medal |
| 33 | Sainya Seva Medal |
| 34 | High Altitude Medal |
| 35 | Videsh Seva Medal |
| 36 | Meritorious Service Medal |
| 37 | Long Service and Good Conduct Medal |
| 38 | Jeevan Raksha Padak |
| 39 | Territorial Army Decoration |
| 40 | Territorial Army Medal |
| 41 | Indian Independence Medal |
| 42 | 75th Independence Anniversary Medal |
| 43 | 50th Independence Anniversary Medal |
| 44 | 25th Independence Anniversary Medal |
| 44 | 30 Years Long Service Medal |
| 46 | 20 Years Long Service Medal |
| 47 | 9 Years Long Service Medal |
| 48 | Commonwealth Awards |
| 49 | United Nations Medal |
| 50 | Other Awards |
Note that the Police Medals, Fire Services Medals, Correctional Services Medals, Home Guards and Civil Defence Medals, and Tatrakshak Medals are excluded from the above list. The above order of precedence of awards is as per the Indian Army. There are slight variations, especially in the campaign medals, in the order followed by the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.

## Wearing medals by the next of kins

An order issued on 11 July 2019 by the Indian Army's "Ceremonial and Welfare Adjutant General's Branch" made it permissible for the close relatives of the deceased military personnel to wear their medals on the right side of chest while attending homage ceremonies at war memorials, cemeteries and funerals. These gallantry or service awards of deceased can be worn by their family members, such as spouses, children, parents, forefathers while wearing civil clothes.