Param Vir Chakra Winners List of 2025 Recipients

The Param Vir Chakra winners list highlights the bravery of 21 recipients to date. Major Somnath Sharma was the first recipient of India’s highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra (PVC). He was awarded posthumously for his gallantry during the Battle of Badgam in Jammu and Kashmir. To date, there are 21 awardees of the Param Vir Chakra, comprising 20 from the Indian Army and 1 from the Indian Air Force. Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon is the only Indian Air Force officer posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra in 1971.

Established on 26 January 1950 by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the Param Vir Chakra came into effect on 15 August 1950. The first award was granted for valor in the Battle of Badgam on 3 November 1947 to Major Somnath Sharma, while Captain Vikram Batra received the honor last for his valor during Operation Vijay in Kargil on 7 July 1999. The living recipients as of now are Subedar Major Bana Singh, Subedar Sanjay Kumar, and Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav. Below is the detailed list of all 21 Param Vir Chakra winners.

Overview of the Param Vir Chakra Winners

The Param Vir Chakra is India’s highest military honor, awarded for demonstrating extraordinary bravery during wartime in the presence of the enemy. The term translates to "Wheel of the Ultimate Brave." The medal was designed by Eva Yuonne Linda Maday-de-Marose, featuring a purple ribbon with a motif of Rishi Dadhichi. It contains replicas of Indra's Vajra made from Dadhichi's bones, symbolizing sacrifice, surrounding the national emblem.

The medal is made of bronze, measuring 1-3/8 inches in radius and suspended from a bar. The back bears the words "Param Vir Chakra" in both English and Hindi, separated by a lotus. This honor is akin to the "Victoria Cross" in the UK and the "Medal of Honor" in the USA. The comprehensive list of all 21 winners is provided below.

Name of Award	Param Vir Chakra
Type of Award	Military award
Awarded for	Distinguished acts of valour in wartime facing the enemy
Meaning of Param Vir Chakra	Wheel of the Ultimate Brave
Established	26 January 1950
First recipient	Somnath Sharma
Indian Air Force recipient	Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon
Living recipients	1. Subedar Major Bana Singh 2. Subedar Sanjay Kumar 3. Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav
First awarded for Action on	3 November 1947
Last awarded for Action on	7 July 1999
Total recipients till date	21
Recipients from Indian Army	20
Recipients from Indian Airforce	1
Posthumous recipients	14
Official Website	Indian Army

List of Param Vir Chakra Winners (2025)

As of 2025, the Param Vir Chakra has been awarded to 21 Indian soldiers, of which 14 were honored posthumously during various conflicts with Pakistan. Out of these, 20 individuals have received the award for their commendable service in the Indian Army, and one has been recognized from the Indian Air Force. The complete list of Param Vir Chakra winners is shown below.

S.No	Recipient's Name	Army Rank	Unit's Name	Date of Action	Conflict/War
1	Somnath Sharma	Major	Kumaon Regiment	3 November 1947	Battle of Badgam
2	Jadunath Singh	Naik	Rajput Regiment	6 February 1948	Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
3	Rama Raghoba Rane	Second Lieutenant	Bombay Sappers	8 April 1948	Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
4	Piru Singh	Company Havildar Major	Rajputana Rifles	17 July 1948	Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
5	Karam Singh	Lance Naik	Sikh Regiment	13 October 1948	Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
6	Gurbachan Singh Salaria	Captain	1 Gorkha Rifles	5 December 1961	Congo Crisis
7	Dhan Singh Thapa	Major	8 Gorkha Rifles	20 October 1962	Sino-Indian War
8	Joginder Singh	Subedar	Sikh Regiment	23 October 1962	Sino-Indian War
9	Shaitan Singh	Major	Kumaon Regiment	18 November 1962	Sino-Indian War
10	Abdul Hamid	Company Quarter Master Havildar	The Grenadiers	10 September 1965	Battle of Asal Uttar
11	Ardeshir Tarapore	Lieutenant Colonel	Poona Horse	11 September 1965	Battle of Chawinda
12	Albert Ekka	Lance Naik	Brigade of the Guards	3 December 1971	Battle of Hilli
13	Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon	Flying Officer	No. 18 Squadron IAF	14 December 1971	Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
14	Arun Khetarpal	Second Lieutenant	Poona Horse	16 December 1971	Battle of Basantar
15	Hoshiar Singh Dahiya	Major	The Grenadiers	17 December 1971	Battle of Basantar
16	Bana Singh	Naib Subedar	Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry	23 May 1987	Operation Rajiv
17	Ramaswamy Parameshwaran	Major	Mahar Regiment	25 November 1987	Operation Pawan
18	Manoj Kumar Pandey	Lieutenant	11 Gorkha Rifles	3 July 1999	Operation Vijay
19	Yogendra Singh Yadav	Grenadier	The Grenadiers	4 July 1999	Battle of Tiger Hill
20	Sanjay Kumar	Rifleman	Jammu and Kashmir Rifles	5 July 1999	Kargil War
21	Vikram Batra	Captain	Jammu and Kashmir Rifles	7 July 1999	Operation Vijay

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1. Major Somnath Sharma - Battle of Badgam
2. Naik Jadunath Singh - Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
3. Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane - Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
4. Company Havildar Major Piru Singh - Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
5. Lance Naik Karam Singh - Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
6. Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria - Congo Crisis
7. Major Dhan Singh Thapa - Sino-Indian War
8. Subedar Joginder Singh - Sino-Indian War
9. Major Shaitan Singh - Sino-Indian War
10. Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid - Battle of Asal Uttar
11. Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Tarapore - Battle of Chawinda
12. Lance Naik Albert Ekka - Battle of Hilli
13. Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon - Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
14. Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal - Battle of Basantar
15. Major Hoshiar Singh Dahiya - Battle of Basantar
16. Naib Subedar Bana Singh - Operation Rajiv
17. Major Ramaswamy Parameshwaran - Operation Pawan
18. Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey - Operation Vijay
19. Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav - Battle of Tiger Hill
20. Rifleman Sanjay Kumar - Kargil War
21. Captain Vikram Batra - Operation Vijay

To view or download the complete list of Param Vir Chakra winners, visit the official Indian Army website at https://indianarmy.nic.in or download the Param Vir Chakra winners list PDF below.

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