Ashoka Chakra – India’s Highest Peacetime Gallantry Award
Ashoka Chakra Awarded for “the most conspicuous bravery or act of valour or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield.”
Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, is presented for displaying exceptional courage, valor, and self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. It is awarded to both military personnel and civilians who perform acts of the most conspicuous bravery or daring during peacetime. The medal symbolizes peace, heroism, and the spirit of selfless service to the nation.
The Ashoka Chakra is India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, instituted on 4 January 1952 by the Government of India. It is awarded to military personnel and civilians for acts of exceptional courage, valor, and self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. The medal features the Ashoka wheel (Chakra) in the center, symbolizing bravery, righteousness, and eternal peace. It hangs from a green ribbon with a saffron stripe, representing courage and sacrifice.
The President of India presents the award, often during Republic Day or Independence Day ceremonies. As of 2025, 86 individuals have received the Ashoka Chakra, many of them posthumously, for their extraordinary heroism in protecting lives and upholding the highest ideals of service and humanity.
List of Ashoka Chakra Awardees :
| Year | Recipient Name | Rank / Field | State / Origin | Profession / Service | Description |
| 1952 | Narbahadur Thapa | Naik | (Born in Nepal) | Indian Army | Naik Narbahadur Thapa was one of the first recipients (1952) of the Ashoka Chakra for bravery during Operation Polo. |
| 1953 | Suhas Biswas | Flight Lieutenant | West Bengal | Indian Air Force | He performed a stricken flight landing, saving lives, becoming the first IAF officer to be awarded the Ashoka Chakra. |
| 1955 | D. K. Jatar | Flight Captain | — | Air India / Civilian | Captain D.K. Jatar was the pilot on the Kashmir Princess. The aircraft was bombed, and he made a sea landing; he was posthumously awarded for bravery and self-sacrifice. |
| 1956 | Sundar Singh | Lance Naik | Jammu & Kashmir | Indian Army | Lance Naik Sundar Singh showed conspicuous courage during a conflict in Kashmir; later became Subedar Major & Honorary Captain. |
| 1957 | Jagannath Raoji Chitnis | Lieutenant Colonel | Maharashtra | Indian Army | Lt Col J.R. Chitnis led a convoy in Nagaland, was wounded in an ambush, continued to lead a counter-charge despite injuries, and died; awarded posthumously. |
| 1957 | Joginder Singh | Havildar | Punjab | Indian Army | Havildar Joginder Singh was awarded the Ashoka Chakra posthumously for his bravery in Nagaland. |
| 1957 | Pollur Mutthuswamy Raman | Second Lieutenant | Tamil Nadu | Indian Army | 2nd Lt. P.M. Raman conducted an operation against militants in Nagaland, showing leadership and courage; died in action. |
| 1958 | Eric James Tucker | Captain | Odisha | Indian Army | Capt. Eric J. Tucker fought a fierce ambush during the Naga insurgency; despite being wounded, he continued to lead and was killed in action. |
| 1962 | Khadka Bahadur Limbu | Subedar Major | Manipur | Indian Army (8 Assam Rifles) | Veteran Gorkha soldier of WWII; died leading his men in Nagaland insurgency. |
| 1962 | Man Bahadur Rai | Captain | West Bengal (Darjeeling) | Indian Army (Gorkha Rifles / Assam Rifles) | Highly decorated Gorkha officer; served in WWII and Northeast insurgency; one of the few Ashoka Chakra recipients awarded while alive. |
| 1965 | Chaman Lal | Fireman | — | Civilian (Railways) | Fireman in Northern Railway; showed conspicuous bravery during a train fire. |
| 1965 | Lajja Ram | — | — | Civilian | Awarded for bravery during a dacoit (bandit) attack. |
| 1965 | Purshottam | — | — | Civilian | Recognized for courageous action during a dacoit attack. |
| 1965 | Tej Singh | — | — | Civilian | Awarded posthumously for gallantry during a dacoit attack. |
| 1967 | Shankar Lal Shrivastava | Head Constable | Madhya Pradesh | Police (Madhya Pradesh Police) | Honoured for bravery during a dacoit attack. |
| 1968 | Takhat Singh | — | — | Civilian | Recognized for valor in a dacoit attack. |
| 1968 | Dhanpat Singh | — | — | Civilian | Awarded for brave conduct during a dacoit attack. |
| 1969 | Jas Ram Singh | Lieutenant Colonel | Uttar Pradesh | Indian Army (16 Rajput) | Led operations in Nagaland insurgency; later rose to Lt Col. |
| 1971 | Baij Nath Singh | Shri | Madhya Pradesh | Civilian | Baij Nath Singh was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra for confronting dacoits in his village and fighting them bravely, sacrificing his life. |
| 1972 | Bhure Lal | Shri | — | Civilian | (Limited public details) — listed as a recipient in the Ashoka Chakra award list. |
| 1972 | Captain Ummed Singh Mahra | Captain | Uttarakhand (then part of Uttar Pradesh) | Indian Army | Capt. Mahra led a raid in Nagaland against an insurgent group, was wounded, but continued the operation, capturing arms; he died of his wounds. |
| 1974 | Gurnam Singh | Naib Subedar | Punjab | Indian Army | Naib Subedar Gurnam Singh died in a mine explosion during a demonstration; he ordered his men to flee but stayed behind, sacrificing himself to save others. |
| 1974 | Munni Lal | Shri | — | Civilian | (Limited details) — listed in the Ashoka Chakra recipients template. |
| 1981 | Cyrus Addie Pithawalla | 2nd Lieutenant | Jammu & Kashmir Rifles | Indian Army | Led a daring counter-insurgency raid in Manipur; despite being wounded, he refused evacuation and completed the mission. |
| 1984 | Gennadi Strekalov | Colonel (non-Indian) | Soviet Union | Cosmonaut | Part of the Soyuz T-11 space mission; honored for the peacetime bravery / outstanding contribution during the mission. |
| 1984 | Yuri Malyshev | Colonel (non-Indian) | Soviet Union | Cosmonaut | Along with his crew on Soyuz T-11 (with Rakesh Sharma), he was awarded for the space mission. |
| 1985 | Ram Prakash Roperia | Lieutenant | Indian Army | Indian Army | Awarded posthumously for his role in Operation Blue Star. |
| 1985 | Rakesh Sharma | Wing Commander | Maharashtra / India | Indian Air Force | First Indian in space (Soyuz T-11); awarded for his role in the space mission. |
| 1986 | Vijay Jagirdar | — | — | Civilian | Recognized for bravery during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. |
| 1987 | Neerja Bhanot | — | — | Flight Attendant (Pan Am) | At age ~22, she saved hundreds during the Pan Am Flight 73 hijacking; shielded children, helped others escape, and lost her life. |
| 1991 | Randhir Prasad Verma | Superintendent of Police | Jharkhand / Bihar Police | Police (IPS) | Confronted a bank robbery in Dhanbad alone, killed robbers but was fatally shot; awarded posthumously. |
| 1992 | Sandeep Sankhla | Captain | Himachal Pradesh | Indian Army | Led from the front in counter-insurgency operations in Kupwara (Jammu & Kashmir), sacrificed his life. |
| 1993 | Rakesh Singh Malhan | Second Lieutenant | Haryana / Indian Army | Indian Army | At age 22, he died during an operation to intercept escaping militants; awarded for his bravery. |
| 1994 | Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair | Colonel | Kerala / Indian Army | Indian Army | Ambushed convoy in Nagaland; though severely injured, he reorganized his men and counterattacked the insurgents. |
| 1995 | Harsh Uday Singh Gaur | Lieutenant Colonel | Uttar Pradesh | Indian Army | Led a cordon and search operation in Baramulla, neutralized terrorists but succumbed to injuries; awarded posthumously. |
| 1995 | Rajiv Kumar Joon | Major | Indian Army | Indian Army | Awarded for gallantry during insurgency in Kashmir. |
| 1995 | Sujjan Singh Yadav | Subedar | Indian Army | Indian Army | Recognized for his courageous actions in Kashmir insurgency. |
| 1996 | Arun Singh Jasrotia | Captain | Punjab | Indian Army (9 Para, Special Forces) | Captain Jasrotia displayed extraordinary courage in Lolab Valley, J&K: despite being wounded, he killed multiple terrorists in a daring close-combat operation and succumbed to his injuries. |
| 1997 | Puneet Nath Datt | Second Lieutenant | — | Indian Army | (Listed in recipient lists, though detailed public biography is limited.) |
| 1997 | Shanti Swarup Rana | Lieutenant Colonel | — | Indian Army | (Listed recipient; detailed description not in Wikipedia template.) |
| 2000 | Sudhir Kumar Walia | Major | — | Indian Army | (Recipient in 2000 per award list.) |
| 2001 | Kamlesh Kumari | Constable | — | Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) | She was among the recipients in 2001. |
| 2002 | Surinder Singh | Subedar | Jammu & Kashmir | Indian Army (3 Sikh Regiment) | Subedar Surinder Singh took on terrorists near the Line of Control in Rajouri sector, destroyed their stronghold despite grievous injuries, and was awarded posthumously. |
| 2002 | Rambeer Singh Tomar | Naik | Madhya Pradesh | Indian Army (15 Kumaon / 26 RR) | Naik Tomar led an assault on a terrorist hideout, killed multiple terrorists even after being shot, and made the supreme sacrifice. |
| 2003 | Suresh Chand Yadav | Subedar Major | — | National Security Guard (NSG) | He is listed as a 2003 Ashoka Chakra recipient. |
| 2004 | Sanjog Chhetri | Paratrooper | Sikkim | Indian Army (9 Para, Special Forces) | Paratrooper Chhetri crawled under fire to close quarters during an operation (Operation Sarp Vinash), killed militants in a gunfight, and was fatally wounded. |
| 2004 | Triveni Singh | Lieutenant | Jharkhand | Indian Army (5 J&K Light Infantry) | Lt. Singh led a Quick Reaction Team at Jammu Railway Station during a terrorist attack, killed two heavily armed militants, saved many lives, and died from his injuries. |
| 2007 | Vasanth Venugopal | Colonel | Karnataka | Indian Army (9 Maratha LI) | Led his battalion in Kashmir; posthumously awarded for conspicuous courage in an operation where he laid down his life. |
| 2007 | Naib Subedar Chuni Lal | Naib Subedar | Jammu & Kashmir | Indian Army (8 JAK LI) | Displayed exceptional bravery in counter-insurgency operations; awarded posthumously. |
| 2007 | Radhakrishnan Nair (Harshan R.) | Captain | Kerala | Indian Army (2 PARA SF) | Led a hazardous special forces action; honoured posthumously for valour. |
| 2008 | Dinesh Raghu Raman | Major | Delhi / Uttarakhand | Indian Army (19 JAT / 34 RR) | Posthumously awarded for bravery in an operation in Baramulla / J&K, leading from the front. |
| 2009 | Pramod Kumar Satapathy | Asst Commandant | Odisha | SOG / Police | Posthumously awarded for outstanding courage in counter-insurgency action. |
| 2009 | R. P. Diengdoh | Shri (Police) | Meghalaya | Meghalaya Police | Killed while confronting militants; posthumously awarded for conspicuous gallantry. |
| 2009 | Jojan Thomas | Colonel | Kerala | Indian Army (45 RR) | Killed in action in Kupwara/Machal sector while eliminating terrorists; awarded posthumously. |
| 2009 | Mohan Chand Sharma | Inspector | Uttarakhand / Delhi | Delhi Police (Special Cell) | Killed in the 2008 Batla House encounter; posthumously awarded for bravery. |
| 2009 | Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan | Major | Kerala / Karnataka | NSG (Special Action Group) | Led NSG action during the 2008 Mumbai attacks; killed in action while saving civilians; posthumously awarded. |
| 2009 | Gajender Singh Bisht | Inspector / Commando | Uttarakhand | NSG / Police commando | Killed during the Mumbai terror operations while engaging attackers; awarded posthumously. |
| 2009 | Tukaram Omble | Head Constable | Maharashtra | Mumbai Police | Sacrificed his life by grabbing a terrorist during the Mumbai 26/11 attack, enabling his team to kill the attacker; posthumously awarded. |
| 2009 | Ashok Kamte | Additional Commissioner of Police | Maharashtra | Mumbai Police (Anti-terror ops) | Led Mumbai Police operations during 26/11 attacks; killed in action while combating terrorists; posthumous award. |
| 2009 | Vijay Salaskar | Inspector | Maharashtra | Mumbai Police (ATS / Encounter specialist) | Shot dead during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks while fighting terrorists; honoured posthumously. |
| 2009 | Hemant Karkare | Chief of Maharashtra ATS | Maharashtra | Police (Anti-terrorism Squad) | Led the response to 26/11 Mumbai attacks; martyred in action; posthumously awarded. |
| 2009 | Bahadur Singh Bohra | Rifleman | Uttar Pradesh / Indian Army | Indian Army (10 Para / other) | Posthumously awarded for conspicuous bravery in counter-terror operations. |
| 2010 | Major Mohit Sharma | Major | Haryana | Indian Army (1 PARA SF) | Engaged terrorists in Kupwara (2009), killed several and rescued comrades; posthumously awarded Ashoka Chakra (R-Day 2010). |
| 2010 | D. Sreeram Kumar | — | — | Indian Army / Security Forces | Awarded Ashoka Chakra in 2010 (citation: official list). |
| 2010 | Rajesh Kumar | — | — | Armed Forces / Police (listed) | Posthumous awardee listed in 2010 official citations. |
| 2011 | Laishram Jyotin Singh | Lance Naik / Havildar | Manipur / Manipur Police | Indian Army / Paramilitary | Led a close-quarters action against insurgents; posthumously awarded for bravery in J&K. |
| 2012 | Navdeep Singh | Lieutenant | Punjab | Indian Army (16 Rajput) | Led ambush against well-armed infiltrators in Kupwara, killed multiple terrorists while protecting his team; awarded posthumously. |
| 2014 | K. Prasad Babu | — | Andhra Pradesh / Telangana | Indian Army / Paramilitary (listed) | Posthumously awarded for conspicuous courage during anti-terror operations. |
| 2014 | Neeraj Kumar Singh | — | — | Security forces (listed) | Recognised posthumously for gallantry in counter-terror action. |
| 2014 | Mukund Varadarajan | Lieutenant | Tamil Nadu | Indian Army (1st Para SF) | Led an assault on terrorists in Tral (J&K); killed in action after destroying most of the terrorist team; awarded posthumously. |
| 2015 | (No Ashoka Chakra listed) | — | — | — | No recipients listed for 2015 in the main consolidated lists. |
| 2016 | Mohan Nath Goswami | Lance Naik / Havildar | Uttarakhand | Indian Army (9 Para SF) | Killed during an operation in Kupwara; posthumously awarded for leading an assault on a terrorist hideout. |
| 2017 | Hangpan Dada | Sepoy / Naik | Arunachal Pradesh | Indian Army (4 Kumaon / others) | Single-handedly attacked infiltrating militants in Kupwara sector; killed in action; honoured posthumously. |
| 2018 | Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala | Corporal | Bihar | Indian Army (Garud/Para / NSG associations) | Crawled under heavy fire to engage a terrorist in Jammu & Kashmir (2018); killed in action; awarded posthumously. |
| 2019 | Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani | Naik | Jammu & Kashmir | Indian Army / CRPF (ex-militant turned soldier) | Former militant who surrendered, later served in CRPF/Army operations; killed in action while leading an assault, awarded posthumously. |
| 2021 | Babu Ram | Assistant Sub-Inspector | Jammu & Kashmir | Jammu & Kashmir Police, Special Operations Group (SOG) | Posthumously awarded Ashoka Chakra for conspicuous bravery: he was part of a joint anti-terror operation, engaged terrorists under heavy fire, and sacrificed his life in the line of duty. |
