Medals and Decorations of Independent IndiaWith India's independence in 1947 and emergence as a fully self-governing republic in 1950, new awards were created to reward Indian citizens for bravery and national service. While these new national awards grew out of the historical heritage of the period of British rule, they also represented the unique values of the new republic. This book presents a systematic overview of the official military, police, and civilian awards of the Republic of India from 1947 though to the present day. In addition to presenting a detailed catalogue of official awards, this work also surveys the development of policy on such awards, considers their changing legal status, and provides a critique of the policies that governed their creation and bestowal. While focusing on official national awards, the book also provides information on Indian provincial awards, on foreign awards given to Indians, and on awards of the pre-1947 Provisional Government of Free India. While much space is necessarily devoted to military awards, attention is also given to civilian awards, to the awards of the police and fire services and to the other official awards of the Indian Republic. This is the first book to focus on this important topic and should be of special interest to those in the defence and other uniformed services, to national policy makers, to students and collectors of decorations and medals, and to those with an interest in the social and political history of India. Members of the general public with an interest in how such national honours are awarded or with a curiosity over the meaning of all those bits of coloured silk that are worn on uniforms, will find this a useful and handy work of reference. |
Common terms and phrases
15 August 26 January acts addition Air Force amended Appearance armed forces Army Ashoka Chakra authorized Background badge Bangladesh blue bronze carried central centre circular clasp Class command Conduct Corps dark days of service December decoration Distinguished Service duty edge effect emblem Established February Fire Services Medal forces Gazette green Highest Gallantry Awards Home Guards honours Independence Indian instituted issued Italy Jammu July June legend Long Service March Medal for Gallantry Medal Ribbons Meritorious Service military Miniature mission Naming notification November observers Obverse October officers operations original Outline Padma Padma Shri peacekeeping period personnel Police and Fire Police Medal posthumous Pradesh recipients recognized Representative Republic Reverse ribbon rules Security Sena separated September served Seva Medal Shri silver Singh Soldiers Special Star stripes subsequent suspender Traditions troops United Nations variety Vir Chakra Vishisht Seva Medal World