MAHA VIR CHAKRA

MAHA VIR CHAKRA

Subject : Current events

Context : Colonel B. Santhosh Babu, Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar regiment deployed in Galwan during Operation Snow Leopard,  has been posthumously selected for the MahaVir Chakra (MVC), the second highest wartime gallantry award of India.

Five other personnel deployed there have been named for the Vir Chakra (VrC), which is the third highest wartime gallantry award.

Concept :

Mahavir Chakra

• The Mahavir Chakra (MVC) is the second-highest military decoration in India and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air.
• The Mahavir Chakra was instituted on 26 Jan 1950 to recognise the act of gallantry in the presence of the enemy.
• The most MVCs awarded in a single conflict were in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 when eleven awards are given to the Indian Air Force alone.
• Till 2017, there are around 218 personnel have been awarded from this medal.

Gallantry Awards

• Gallantry Awards have been instituted by the Government of India to honour the acts of bravery and sacrifice of the officers/personnel of the Armed Forces, other lawfully constituted Forces and civilians.
• These gallantry awards are announced twice in a year – first on the occasion of the Republic Day and then on the occasion of the Independence Day.

Types of Gallantry awards

• Gallantry Awards are classified into two Categories

Gallantry in the Face of Enemy

Gallantry Other than in the Face of Enemy

• First Category of Gallantry Awards Comprises of the following Awards

ParamVir Chakra (PVC)

Mahavir Chakra (MVC)

Vir Chakra

• Second Category of Gallantry Awards Comprises of the following Awards

Ashok Chakra

Kirti Chakra

Shaurya Chakra

• Order of precedence of these awards is the ParamVir Chakra, the Ashoka Chakra, the Mahavir Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, the Vir Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra.