Param Vishisht Seva Medal

{{Infobox military award

| name = Param Vishisht Seva Medal

| image = File:Param-vishisht-seva-medal.png

| type = Military award

| country = {{flag|India}}

| established = 26 January 1960
(as "Vishisht Seva Medal Class I", renamed 27 January 1967)

| firstawarded = 1961

| lastawarded =

| total_awarded =

| presenter = Government of India

| awarded_for = Peace-time service of the most exceptional order

| previous = Vishisht Seva Medal, Class I{{Cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/awards/service.html|title = Service Awards - Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force}}

| ribbon =150px

| higher = 35px Padma Bhushan{{cite web|title=Precedence Of Medals|url=http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=zCQHR1MODtMw0EJ0MUc5CA==&ParentID=XRRy6fl/Yj1c0bK0sve+Pg==|work=indianarmy.nic.in|publisher=Indian Army|access-date=9 September 2014}}

|same = 35px Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal

| lower = 35px Maha Vir Chakra

}}

Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) (IAST: {{IAST|Parama Viśiṣṭa Sēvā}}, {{Lit|supreme distinguished service medal}}) is a military award of India. It is the highest peacetime medal of the Indian Armed Forces,{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 1: Order of Precedence of wearing of various medals and decorations |pages=219–220 |date=8 February 2020|page= |url=https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/2020/216027.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}} and is awarded for "distinguished service of the most exceptional order."{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 1 (Extraordinary) |page=33 |date=26 January 1960|url=https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/1960/E-1968-1960-0013-88647.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}} The medal is awarded for "distinguished service rendered by personnel of the Armed Forces."{{cite web| url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Awards/Service/308-PVSM.html| title=Vishist Seva Medal & Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal| publisher=bharat-rakshak.com}} All ranks of the Armed Forces, including Territorial Army, Auxiliary and Reserve forces, Nursing officers and other members of the Nursing services and other lawfully constituted Armed Forces are eligible for the medal,{{Cite web|url=http://indiannavy.nic.in/node/414|title=Param Vishisht Seva Medal {{!}} Indian Navy|website=indiannavy.nic.in|access-date=2016-06-07}} which may be awarded multiple times as well as posthumously.

History

The Param Vishisht Seva Medal was originally instituted as the "Vishisht Seva Medal, Class I" on 26 January 1960. Five other medals were instituted on the same day: the Sainya Seva Medal, Sena Medal, Nau Sena Medal and the Vayu Sena Medal.{{cite web |title=DESIGNS OF NEW SERVICE MEDAL AND THEIR DESIGNS |url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1960-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1960-07-29_030.pdf |website=archive.pib.gov.in |date=29 July 1960|access-date=10 January 2022}} It was renamed on 27 January 1967, and the badge signed. Until 26 January 1980, when the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal (SYSM) was instituted, it was also awarded for distinguished war service.

Design

The medal is round in shape, made of gold gilt, and is 35 mm in diameter and fitted to a plain horizontal bar with standard fitting. On its obverse is embossed a five-pointed star and on its reverse is the Indian state emblem and the inscription embossed along the upper rim. The golden riband is 32 mm in diameter with one dark blue stripe down the centre dividing it into two equal parts.{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 1: THE "VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL"/"DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL" |page=138 |date=2 July 1960|url=https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/1960/O-1947-1960-0027-87604.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 1: PARAM VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL |pages=470–471 |date=22 April 1967|page= |url=https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/1967/O-1609-1967-0016-72581.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}} On 27 January 1967, a miniature of the medal was authorised for certain occasions.

Medal bar

If a recipient of the medal is subsequently awarded the medal again, every such further award shall be recognized by a bar to be attached to the riband by which the medal is suspended. For every such bar, a miniature insignia of a pattern approved by the Government of India shall be added to the riband when worn alone. The following individuals have received multiple awards of the PVSM:

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%"

style="background:#cccccc"

! scope="col" style="width: 10px;" | No.

! scope="col" style="width: 200px;" | Rank

! scope="col" style="width: 350px;" | Name

! scope="col" style="width: 150px;" | Branch

! scope="col" style="width: 250px;" | First Award

! scope="col" style="width: 200px;" | Second Award

|Rear Admiral

|Bansh Raj Singh

|{{navy|India}}

|26 January 1970

|20 January 1972

Lists of recipients

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20071111215244/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Awards/awapvsm.htm Vishist Seva Medal & Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal] at bharat-rakshak.com (archived)

Category:Military awards and decorations of India