MoD raises gallantry medal emoluments

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has doubled the honourary allowances for gallantry awardees because of which a recipient of Paramvir Chakra – India's highest wartime gallantry award – would get a monthly sum of Rs 20,000 as against the current norm of Rs 10,000.

Similarly an Ashoka Chakra awardee – the highest peacetime gallantry award – would get Rs 12,000 for the valiant soldier – a 100% jump from the existing standard of Rs 6,000. In almost all gallantry awards, the monthly monetary allowance has been doubled.

As a consequence, a Maha Vir Chakra awardee will get Rs 10,000 and a Kirti Chakra awardee will receive Rs 9000 per month. The increased allowance for Vir Chakra, Shaurya Chakra and Sena/Nao Sena/Vayu Sena Medal will be Rs 7,000; 6,000 and Rs 2,000 respectively.

The increased allowances would come into effect from August 1, 2017. For those, who made supreme sacrifices in the operations, the allowances would be paid to the widow till her death. In case the posthumous awardee is a bachelor, the parents would get it.

The allowances for pre-independence "jangi inam" and pre-independence gallantry awards have also been doubled. The ministry issued three separate orders to operationalise the enhanced allowances.