Maha Vir Chakra
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The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) (lit.'Medal for Great Bravery') is the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It replaced the British Distinguished Service Order (DSO). The medal may be awarded posthumously.
Appearance
The medal is made of standard silver and is circular in shape. Embossed on the obverse is a five pointed heraldic star with circular center-piece bearing the gilded state emblem of India in the center. The words "Mahavira Chakra" are embossed in Hindi and English on the reverse with two lotus flowers in the middle. The decoration is worn on the left chest with a half-white and half-orange riband about 3.2 cm in width, the orange being near the left shoulder.
History
More than 218 acts of bravery and selfless courage have been recognized since the inception of the medal. The most MVCs awarded in a single conflict was in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, when eleven were given to the Indian Air Force.
Bar to MVC
Provision was made for the award of a bar for a second award of the Maha Vir Chakra, the first two being awarded in 1965. To date, there are six known awards of a first bar:
| S. No. | Rank | Name | Branch | Date of First Award | Date of Second Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wing Commander | Jag Mohan Nath | Indian Air Force | 1 January 1962 | 1 September 1965 |
| 2 | Major General | Rajinder Singh Sparrow | Indian Army | 19 March 1948 | 6 September 1965 |
| 3 | General | Arun Shridhar Vaidya | Indian Army | 16 September 1965 | 5 December 1971 |
| 4 | Wing Commander | Padmanabha Gautam | Indian Air Force | 6 September 1965 | 5 December 1971 |
| 5 | Colonel | Chewang Rinchen | Indian Army | 1 July 1948 | 8 December 1971 |
| 6 | Brigadier | Sant Singh | Indian Army | 2 November 1965 | 2 January 1972 |
No second bars have been awarded. Award of the decoration carries with it the right to use MVC as a post-nominal abbreviation.
List of recipients
The Mahavir Chakra awardees include:
| † | Indicates posthumous honour |