23 JAN 2023

21 Islands for 21 Param Vir Chakra Heroes
Who are they?

SHAURYA THAPA

parakram diwas 2023

On the occasion of Parakram Diwas (birth anniversary of Subhash Chandra Bose), PM Narendra Modi named 21 islands in the Andaman belt after Param Vir Chakra winners.

PHOTO: tenor gifs

islands named after pvc winners

Granted to brave war veterans, the Param Vir Chakra is the highest military decoration in India. Now, unnamed Andaman islands will be named in their honour. 

PHOTO: ANI

major somnath sharma

photO: gallantry awards.gov

The largest island is named after Major Somnath Sharma fighting Pakistani terrorists near Srinagar airport in 1947. He was also the first PVC awardee. 

NAIK JADUNATH SINGH

Rajput Regiment's Jadunath Singh single-handedly went against a Pakistani unit with just a Stern gun in the Indo-Pak War of 1947. 

PHOTO: GALLANTRY AWARDS.GOV

SECOND LT RAMA RAGOBHA RANE

Second Lieutenant Rama Ragobha Rane was the first living recipient. He recaptured Rajauri by clearing minefields off the road in the 1947 War. 

PHOTO: GALLANTRY AWARDS.GOV

COMPANY HAVILDAR MAJ PIRU SINGH

Piru Singh was a Company Havildar Major in Rajputana Rifles and took over a Pak machine gun post in 1948 during the Indo-Pak war. 

PHOTO: IMDB photo-gallantry awards. gov

lance naik karam singh 

The second living Param Vir Chakra awardee, Karam Singh was a Lance Naik when he saved an Indian post in Kashmir in 1948.

photo-gallantry awards. gov

CAPT GURBACHAN SINGH SALARIA

 1 Gorkha Rifles Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria fought secessionist Katangese forces as for India's UN Peacekeeping Mission to Congo (1961)

photo-gallantry awards. gov

LT COL DHAN THAPA

Lieutenant Colonel Dhan Thapa and his men repelled three attacks during the Indo-China War of 1962. He was captured as a POW but released after the war.

photo-gallantry awards. gov

SUBEDAR JOGINDER SINGH

 Singh managed to lead his outnumbered platoon against Chinese forces during the War of 1962. He single-handedly killed more than 50 soldiers. 

photo-gallantry awards. gov

MAJOR SHAITAN SINGH

During the Indo-China War, 13 Kumaon's Major Shaitan Singh rapidly moved from post to post to reorganise the defences in every post.

photo-gallantry awards. gov

company qtr master abdul hamid

photo-gallantry awards. gov

Abdul Hamid single-handedly destroyed eight tanks in the Indo-Pak War of 1965 and died while destroying the ninth one. 

LT COLONEL ARDESHIR TARAPORE

Leading the Poona Horse Regiment in several tank battles in the 1965 War, Tarapore and his troops managed to destroy 60 Pakistani tanks. 

photo-gallantry awards. gov

LANCE NAIK ALBERT EKKA

During the War of 1971, Ekka saved Agartala from Pakistan by attacking an enemy bunker, bayoneting soldiers, and throwing a grenade into the bunker.

photo-gallantry awards. gov

FLYING OFFICER NIRMALJIT SEKHON

The first Air Force man to get a PVC, Sekhon shot down 2 of the 6 Pakistani aircrafts that had attacked a Srinagar airfield in 1971. 

photo-gallantry awards. gov

SECOND LIEUT ARUN KHETRAPAL

Attacking enemy posts, capturing their soldiers, and destroying tanks, Khetrapal emerged as a major hero from the Indo-Pak War of 1971.

photo-gallantry awards. gov

MAJOR (lATER BRIG) HOSHIAR SINGH

Grenadiers Reguments's Hoshiar Singh single-handedly manning a machine gun pit (while injured) till the enemy retreated. 

photo-gallantry awards. gov

naib subdr (later cap) bana singh

Naib Subedar Bana Singh earned a PVC after his heroic acts against Pakistan at Siachen in 1987. He later retired as a Captain. 

photo-gallantry awards. gov

MAJ RAMASWAMY PARAMESWARAM

Parameswaram valiantly took down several militants in Sri Lanka as a part of Operation Pawan (1987) before he was killed in action. 

photo-gallantry awards. gov

CAPTAIN VIKRAM BATRA

The inspiration behind the movie Shershaah, Captain Batra killed 3 enemies in close combat during the Kargil War while overruning Pakistani outposts. 

photo-gallantry awards. gov

LT COL MANOJ KUMAR PANDEY

Forcing back Pakistani intruders from Baltaik and recapturing the Jaubar Top, Lt Col Manoj Kumar Pandey was killed during the Kargil War. 

photo-gallantry awards. gov

GRenAdIER (LATER CAPT)
YOGENDRA SINGH YADAV

During the Kargil War,  Grenadier Yogendra Yadav climbed 60 feet to capture an enemy bunker, killing 4 enemies.

photo-gallantry awards. gov

RIFLEMAN SANJAY KUMAR

Rifleman Kumar, tasked with taking a position in the Mushkoh Valley in 1999, climbed the ledge, picked up an enemy machine gun, and killed 3 soldiers.

photo-gallantry awards. gov