Ashok Chakra series gallantry awards were rechristened in 1967: Archival records

NEW DELHI — Top peacetime gallantry awards instituted in the 1950s as Ashok Chakra I, Ashok Chakra II, and Ashok Chakra III, were rechristened as 'Ashok Chakra', 'Kirti Chakra', and 'Shaurya Chakra' respectively in 1967, according to a rare archival government document.

The President's Secretariat had issued a notification on the change of nomenclature on January 27, 1967, and an image of it has been displayed on a panel, among those of several other historic official documents as part of an exhibition hosted here by the National Archives of India (NAI).

Titled 'Sushashan Aur Abhilekh 2025', it displays valuable records drawn from the repositories of the President's Secretariat, Election Commission of India, and various ministries, including the Home Ministry, External Affairs Ministry, and Power Ministry.

The notification on renaming of the military decorations has been reproduced on a panel showcasing documents sourced from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Ashok Chakra is India's highest peacetime gallantry award, followed by the Kirti Chakra, and the Shaurya Chakra in that order.

"The President is pleased to rename the awards ASHOK CHAKRA CLASS I, ASHOK CHAKRA CLASS II and ASHOK CHAKRA CLASS III, the institution of which was notified in this Secretariat Notification No. 1 - Pres./52, dated the 4th of January, 1952, as 'ASHOK CHAKRA', 'KIRTI CHAKRA' AND 'SHAURYA CHAKRA', respectively..," reads the notification.

It also mentions the salient points related to 'Ashok Chakra', and the panel also carries a photo of the medal that comes with the gallantry award.

The decoration shall be in the form of a medal and styled and designated the 'ASHOK CHAKRA' (hereinafter referred to as the Chakra), it says.

The Chakra shall be awarded for "most conspicuous bravery; or some act of daring of pre-eminent valour or self-sacrifice otherwise than in the face of the enemy".

The Chakra may also be awarded posthumously, it adds.

The notification describes the dimensions of the decoration and the ribbon, and the details of the ornamental design on it.

"The medal shall be circular in shape, one and three-eighth inches in diameter, with rims in both sides. The medal shall be of gold gilt. On the obverse of the medal shall be embossed a replica of Ashoka's Chakra in the centre, surrounded by a lotus wreath. Along the rim, on the inner side, shall be a pattern of lotus leaves, flowers and buds," it says.

In May 2025, President Droupadi Murmu had conferred six Kirti Chakras, including four posthumously, to personnel of the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police for displaying indomitable courage and extraordinary valour in the line of duty.

The President, who is the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, had also presented 33 Shaurya Chakras, including seven posthumously, to the personnel of the armed forces, Central Armed Police Forces, and state/Union Territory police during a defence investiture ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The NAI exhibition, showcasing rare archival records, was inaugurated by Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on October 10 as part of the 'Good Governance' month at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, and will run till October 12.

The panel on records related to the Ministry of Home Affairs also displays an image of a document, labelled 'Secret', on the minutes of a meeting of the committee of secretaries held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, on commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the victory in the India-Pakistan war of 1971.

The meeting, held on November 11, 1996, was attended by some of the top government and military officials.

Among the decisions taken was to observe the 25th anniversary on December 16, 1996 as 'Vijay Diwas' and release of a commemorative stamp to mark the occasion.