# Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)

The Ashoka Chakra (alternative spelling: Ashok Chakra, lit. 'Wheel of Ashoka') is India's highest peacetime military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action, or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC) and is awarded for the "most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent valour or self-sacrifice" other than in the face of the enemy. The decoration may be awarded either to military or civilian personnel.
Havildar Bachittar Singh and Naik Narbahadur Thapa were the first recipients of the Ashoka Chakra. Subsequent awards of the Ashoka Chakra are recognized by a bar to the medal ribbon. A recipient can be awarded the Kirti Chakra or Shaurya Chakra in addition to separate acts of gallantry.

## History

The medal was originally established on 4 January 1952 as the "Ashoka Chakra, Class I" as the first step of a three-class sequence of non-combatant bravery decorations. In 1967, these decorations were removed from the "class-based" system and renamed as the Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, and Shaurya Chakra. This is an important point in understanding the independent Indian view of decorations. It would also lead to changes in the Padma Vibhushan series, the distinguished service medal series, the life-saving medal series, and the Defence Security Corps medal series.
From 1 February 1999, the central government instituted a monthly stipend for Ashoka Chakra recipients of ₹2800.

## Overview

Obverse: Circular gold gilt, 1-3/8 inches in diameter. In the center, the chakra (wheel) of Ashoka, is surrounded by a lotus wreath with an ornate edge. Suspended by a straight bar suspender. The medal is named on the edge.
Reverse: Blank in the center, with "Ashoka Chakra" in Hindi along the upper edge on the medal and the same name in English along the lower rim. On either side is a lotus design. The center is blank, perhaps with the intent that details of the award be engraved there. There is no indication of the class on the pre-1967 awards, and, in fact, there is no difference between these medals & the post-1967 awards.
Ribbon: 32 mm, dark green with a 2 mm central saffron stripe.

## Ashoka Chakra recipients

As of August 2021, the medal has been awarded to 86 awardees, of which 68 were to posthumous recipients. The rank refers to the rank held by the recipient at the time of award. Action refers to the conflict or event during which the Ashoka Chakra was awarded.
Key :
| * | Indicates posthumous honour |
List of award recipients, showing the year :
| Year | Rank | Recipient | Branch | Action |
| 2021 | Assistant Sub-Inspector | Babu Ram * | Jammu and Kashmir Police | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2019 | Lance Naik | Nazir Ahmad Wani * | Territorial Army (Indian Army) | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2018 | Corporal | Jyoti Prakash Nirala * | Indian Air Force | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2017 | Havildar | Hangpan Dada * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2016 | Lance Naik | Mohan Nath Goswami * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2014 | Major | Mukund Varadarajan * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2014 | Naik | Neeraj Kumar Singh * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2014 | Sub-Inspector | K. Prasad Babu * | Andhra Pradesh Police | Naxalite–Maoist insurgency |
| 2012 | Lieutenant | Navdeep Singh * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2011 | Major | Laishram Jyotin Singh * | Indian Army | February 2010 Kabul attack |
| 2010 | Havildar | Rajesh Kumar * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2010 | Major | D. Sreeram Kumar | Indian Army | Manipur insurgency |
| 2010 | Major | Mohit Sharma * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2009 | Havildar | Bahadur Singh Bohra * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2009 | Joint Commissioner of Police | Hemant Karkare * | Maharashtra Police | 2008 Mumbai attacks |
| 2009 | Inspector | Vijay Salaskar * | Maharashtra Police | 2008 Mumbai attacks |
| 2009 | Additional Commissioner of Police | Ashok Kamte * | Maharashtra Police | 2008 Mumbai attacks |
| 2009 | Assistant Sub-Inspector | Tukaram Omble * | Maharashtra Police | 2008 Mumbai attacks |
| 2009 | Havildar | Gajender Singh Bisht * | National Security Guard | 2008 Mumbai attacks |
| 2009 | Major | Sandeep Unnikrishnan * | National Security Guard | 2008 Mumbai attacks |
| 2009 | Inspector | Mohan Chand Sharma * | Delhi Police | Batla House encounter |
| 2009 | Colonel | Jojan Thomas * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2009 | Deputy Superintendent of Police | R. P. Diengdoh * | Meghalaya Police | Meghalaya Insurgency |
| 2009 | Assistant Commandant of Police | Pramod Kumar Satapathy * | Odisha Police | Naxalite–Maoist insurgency |
| 2008 | Major | Dinesh Raghu Raman * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2007 | Captain | Harshan Radhakrishnan Nair * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2007 | Naib Subedar | Chuni Lal * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2007 | Colonel | Vasanth Venugopal * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2004 | Lieutenant | Triveni Singh * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2004 | Paratrooper | Sanjog Chhetri * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2003 | Subedar Major | Suresh Chand Yadav * | National Security Guard | Akshardham Temple attack |
| 2002 | Subedar | Surinder Singh * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2002 | Naik | Rambeer Singh Tomar * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 2001 | - | Jagdish Prasad Yadav * | Rajya Sabha Secretariat | 2001 Indian Parliament attack |
| 2001 | - | Matbar Singh Negi * | Rajya Sabha Secretariat | 2001 Indian Parliament attack |
| 2001 | Constable | Kamlesh Kumari Yadav * | Central Reserve Police Force | 2001 Indian Parliament attack |
| 2000 | Major | Sudhir Kumar Walia * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 1997 | Second Lieutenant | Puneet Nath Datt * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 1997 | Lieutenant Colonel | Shanti Swarup Rana * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 1996 | Captain | Arun Singh Jasrotia * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 1995 | Major | Rajiv Kumar Joon * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 1995 | Subedar | Sujjan Singh Yadav * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 1995 | Lieutenant Colonel | Harsh Uday Singh Gaur * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 1994 | Colonel | Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 1993 | Second Lieutenant | Rakesh Singh Malhan * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 1992 | Captain | Sandeep Sankhla * | Indian Army | Kashmir insurgency |
| 1991 | Superintendent of Police | Randhir Prasad Verma * | Bihar Police | Bank robbery |
| 1987 | Flight Attendant | Neerja Bhanot * | Pan Am | Pan Am Flight 73 hijacking |
| 1986 | - | Vijay Jagirdar * | Civilian | 1984 anti-Sikh riots |
| 1985 | Lance Havildar | Chhering Mutup | Indian Army | Siachen conflict |
| 1985 | Naik | Nirbhay Singh Sisodiya * | Indian Army | Operation Blue Star |
| 1985 | Naik | Bhawani Datt Joshi * | Indian Army | Operation Blue Star |
| 1985 | Lieutenant | Ram Prakash Roperia * | Indian Army | Operation Blue Star |
| 1985 | Captain | Jasbir Singh Raina | Indian Army | Operation Blue Star |
| 1985 | Major | Bhukant Mishra * | Indian Army | Operation Blue Star |
| 1985 | Wing Commander | Rakesh Sharma | Indian Air Force | Soyuz T-11 |
| 1984 | Flight Engineer | Gennadi Strekalov | Roscosmos | Soyuz T-11 |
| 1984 | Colonel | Yury Malyshev | Soviet Air Forces | Soyuz T-11 |
| 1981 | Second Lieutenant | Cyrus Addie Pithawalla | Indian Army | Manipur insurgency |
| 1974 | - | Munni Lal * | Civilian | Dacoit attack |
| 1974 | Naib Subedar | Gurnam Singh * | Indian Army | |
| 1972 | Shri | Bhure Lal | Madhya Pradesh Police | Dacoit attack |
| 1972 | Captain | Ummed Singh Mahra * | Indian Army | Nagaland insurgency |
| 1971 | Shri | Baij Nath Singh * | Civilian | Dacoit attack |
| 1969 | Captain | Jas Ram Singh | Indian Army | Mizo insurgency |
| 1968 | Shri | Takhat Singh * | Civilian | Dacoit attacks |
| 1968 | Shri | Lakhan Singh | Civilian | Dacoit attacks |
| 1968 | Shri | Hukum Singh | Civilian | Dacoit attacks |
| 1968 | Shri | Govind Singh | Civilian | Dacoit attacks |
| 1968 | Shri | Dhanpat Singh | Civilian | Dacoit attacks |
| 1967 | Head Constable (Retired) | Shankar Lal Shrivastava * | Madhya Pradesh Police | Dacoit attacks |
| 1965 | Shri | Tej Singh * | Civilian | Dacoit attacks |
| 1965 | Shri | Lajja Ram * | Civilian | Dacoit attacks |
| 1965 | Shri | Chaman Lal * | Civilian | Dacoit attacks |
| 1965 | Shri | Purshottam * | Civilian | Dacoit attacks |
| 1962 | Subedar Major | Sal Bahadur Limbu * | Indian Army | Nagaland insurgency |
| 1962 | Captain | Man Bahadur Rai | Indian Army | Nagaland insurgency |
| 1958 | Captain | Eric James Tucker * | Indian Army | Nagaland insurgency |
| 1957 | Lieutenant Colonel | Jagannath Raoji Chitnis * | Indian Army | Nagaland insurgency |
| 1957 | Second Lieutenant | Pollur Mutthuswamy Raman * | Indian Army | Nagaland insurgency |
| 1957 | Havildar | Joginder Singh * | Indian Army | Nagaland insurgency |
| 1956 | Lance Naik | Sundar Singh | Indian Army | |
| 1955 | Pilot | D. K. Jatar * | Air India | Kashmir Princess aircraft bombing |
| 1953 | Flight Lieutenant | Suhas Biswas | Indian Air Force | |
| 1952 | Naik | Narbahadur Thapa | Indian Army | Operation Polo |
| 1952 | Havildar | Bachittar Singh * | Indian Army | Operation Polo |

## Superlatives

* Paratrooper Sanjog Chhetri (aged 20 when posthumously awarded) was the youngest recipient of the Ashoka Chakra.
* Colonel Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair was awarded both Ashoka Chakra and Kirti Chakra.
* Damodar Kashinath Jatar, a pilot of Air India's Kashmir Princess was the first civilian recipient of the Ashoka Chakra.
* Colonel Yury Malyshev and Flight Engineer Gennadi Strekalov from Russia were the first foreign recipients of the Ashoka Chakra (both were astronauts).
* Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma is the first Indian astronaut to be awarded the Ashoka Chakra.
* Neerja Bhanot, a flight attendant of PAN AM was the first female recipient of the Ashoka Chakra.
* Kamlesh Kumari Yadav, a constable of CRPF was the first recipient of the Ashoka Chakra from Central Armed Police Forces.
* Bhure Lal, a constable from Madhya Pradesh Police was the first state policeman to be awarded the Ashoka Chakra (Shankar Lal Shrivastava, a retired head constable from Madhya Pradesh Police was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra in 1967)

## In popular culture

* Neerja (2016) film is a biopic of First female recipient of Ashoka Chakra Neerja Bhanot.
* Major (2022) film is based on the life of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan.
* Rakshak: India's Braves (2023) shortfilm which was aired on Amazon miniTV is based on Lieutenant Triveni Singh.
* Amaran (2024) is a biopic of Major Mukund Varadarajan.