The Ashoka Chakra/Ashok Chakra 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).
Ashoka Chakra 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.
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Ashoka Chakra At A Glance
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Header
Details
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Type
Military Award
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Awarded For
Awarded for Most Conspicuous Bravery, or Some Act of Daring or Pre-Eminent Act of Valor or Self-Sacrifice Otherwise than in the Face of the Enemy
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Equivalent Award
Param Vir Chakra (PVC)
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Description
India’s Highest Peacetime Military Decoration
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Country
India
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Presented By
Republic of India
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Eligibility
A) Officers, Men and Women of all ranks of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force, of any of the Reserve Forces, of the Territorial Army, Militia, and of any other Lawfully Constituted Forces. B) Members of the Nursing Services of the Armed Forces. C) Civilian Citizens of Either Sex in all walks of life and Members of Police Forces including Central Para-Military Forces and Railway Protection Force
1st Bharat Ratna 2nd Param Vir Chakra 3rd Ashoka Chakra 4th Padma Vibhushan 5th Padma Bhushan 6th Padma Shri
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Overview Of Medal
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 of 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.
Naik Narbahadur Thapa (1952), Havildar Bachittar Singh (1952), and Flight Lieutenant Suhas Biswas (1983) were the first recipients of the Ashoka Chakra.
A recipient can be awarded the Kirti Chakra or Shaurya Chakra in addition to separate Acts of Gallantry.
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.
From 1st February 1999, the central government instituted a monthly stipend of for Ashoka Chakra recipients of ₹1400. Jammu and Kashmir awarded a cash award of ₹1500 for recipients of this award.
As of January 2023, the medal has been awarded to 86 Awardees, of which 68 were Posthumously awarded.
Answer: The Ashoka Chakra is a depiction of the Dharmachakra
6. What is Ashoka Chakra awarded for?
Answer: Ashoka Chakra is awarded for Valor, Courageous Action, or Self-Sacrifice away from the battlefield
7. what does the Ashoka chakra indicate?
Answer: The Ashoka Chakra is a depiction of the Dharmachakra. It is called so because it appears on a number of edicts of Ashoka, the most prominent among which is the Lion Capital of Ashoka.
8. The Ashoka Chakra is the highest award for what purpose?
Answer: It is the highest award for Gallantry in Peacetime
