Military Awards & PVC — Set 3
Defence GK · सैन्य पुरस्कार और PVC · Questions 21–30 of 160
How many total Param Vir Chakra recipients have there been since its institution (as of 2025)?
Correct Answer: B. 21
A total of 21 Param Vir Chakras have been awarded since the decoration was instituted in 1950. Out of 21, only 5 recipients survived their gallant acts; the remaining 16 received the award posthumously. The conflicts represented include 1947-48 Kashmir War, 1962 Sino-Indian War, 1965 war, Congo UN mission, 1971 war, 1984 Siachen, 1987 IPKF, 1987 Siachen, and 1999 Kargil War.
What does 'PVC' stand for in the context of military awards?
Correct Answer: B. Param Vir Chakra
PVC stands for Param Vir Chakra — the highest wartime gallantry award of India. 'Param' means supreme, 'Vir' means brave, and 'Chakra' means wheel/disc. The award was designed by Savitri Khanolkar (née Eva Yvonne Linda de Maday) and instituted on January 26, 1950.
The Param Vir Chakra was designed by which person?
Correct Answer: B. Savitri Khanolkar (Eva Khanolkar)
The Param Vir Chakra was designed by Mrs Savitri Khanolkar (née Eva Yvonne Linda de Maday), a Swiss-origin Indian who was the wife of Vikram Khanolkar, a Major General in the Indian Army. She was deeply interested in Indian mythology and based the design on the weapon of Indra. The medal is cast in bronze and the design features the vajra of Indra.
The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy. Who awards it?
Correct Answer: B. President of India
The Param Vir Chakra is awarded by the President of India. All Indian military honours are formally awarded by the President as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. Recipients receive the medal along with a citation describing the act of gallantry.
The Ashoka Chakra is awarded for gallantry not in the presence of the enemy. It is equivalent in prestige to which award?
Correct Answer: B. Param Vir Chakra
The Ashoka Chakra is India's highest peacetime gallantry award and is equivalent in precedence to the Param Vir Chakra. While the PVC is for battlefield bravery, the Ashoka Chakra is for acts of gallantry or distinguished service not in the presence of the enemy. It is often awarded for counter-terrorism, anti-smuggling operations, and other non-combat acts of extreme bravery.
Major Somnath Sharma's regiment, which he led at the Battle of Badgam in 1947, is known as which regiment today?
Correct Answer: A. Kumaon Regiment
Major Somnath Sharma served in the 4th Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment. He was posthumously awarded the first PVC for his bravery at Badgam on November 3, 1947. His action in holding off hundreds of Pakistani tribesmen prevented the fall of Srinagar airbase.
The Mahavir Chakra (MVC) is India's second highest wartime gallantry award. Which of the following is NOT a criteria for the MVC?
Correct Answer: C. Only awarded posthumously
The Mahavir Chakra can be awarded both posthumously and to living recipients — it is NOT restricted to posthumous awards only. It is India's second highest wartime gallantry award after the PVC. The MVC is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, for both land, sea, and air operations.
The Vir Chakra (VC) is India's third highest wartime gallantry award. In 2019, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman received which award?
Correct Answer: C. Vir Chakra
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra for his bravery during the aerial engagement on February 27, 2019. He shot down a Pakistani F-16 (claimed) with an R-73 missile before his own MiG-21 Bison was downed. The Vir Chakra is India's third highest wartime gallantry award.
The Sena Medal is awarded for gallantry for which service?
Correct Answer: B. Indian Army
The Sena Medal is awarded to Army personnel for gallantry or distinguished/meritorious service. It has two classes: Sena Medal (gallantry) and Sena Medal (distinguished service). Equivalent awards for Navy and Air Force are Nao Sena Medal and Vayu Sena Medal respectively.
The Nao Sena Medal is the gallantry award for which service?
Correct Answer: B. Indian Navy
The Nao Sena Medal is awarded to Indian Navy personnel for acts of gallantry or distinguished/meritorious service. 'Nao' comes from 'Nauka' meaning ship/vessel in Sanskrit. The equivalent for the Army is the Sena Medal and for the Air Force is the Vayu Sena Medal.