37 Gallantry Awards:
The President of India recently conferred 37 Gallantry awards, including eight Kirti Chakras and 29 Shaurya Chakras, during Defence Investiture Ceremony (Phase-1) held in New Delhi .
- They 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 a year – first on the occasion of the Republic Day and then on the occasion of the Independence Day.
- Three gallantry awards, namely Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra, were instituted by the Government of India on 26th January, 1950.
- Thereafter, the other three gallantry awards, i.e. the Ashoka Chakra Class-I, the Ashoka Chakra Class-II and the Ashoka Chakra Class-III were instituted in 1952.
- These awards were renamed Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra, respectively, in 1967.
- The order of precedence of these awards is the Param Vir Chakra, the Ashoka Chakra, the Mahavir Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, the Vir Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra.
