Revamped Gallantry Awards portal launched

12 November 2026 · English Defence

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Revamped Gallantry Awards portal launched

Topics: Defence & Security · UPSC Prelims · TNPSC · SSC · Current Affairs

Current affairs of 12 November 2026 (Shanmugam IAS Academy) – explained for UPSC, TNPSC and other competitive exams

News

Raksha Rajya Mantri (MoS Defence) Sanjay Seth launched the revamped Gallantry Awards portal (gallantryawards.gov.in) in New Delhi on 12 Nov 2026, with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh present. The new portal has a citizen-friendly design, a Warpedia, Gallantrypedia articles, memorials and museums, an interactive tribute section and a digital hub for Project Veer Gatha.

Key facts for the exam

Point	Details
Launched by	MoS Defence Sanjay Seth
Ministry	Ministry of Defence
Aim	One digital record of gallantry awards, awardees, wars and operations since Independence
Previous revamp	25 Jan 2021, eve of Republic Day, by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh

Background

Wartime gallantry awards: Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra (instituted 26 Jan 1950). Peacetime: Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra (instituted 4 Jan 1952 as Ashoka Chakra Class I–III; renamed Ashoka, Kirti, Shaurya Chakra in 1967).
The Param Vir Chakra was designed by Savitri Khanolkar; it carries the "Vajra" of sage Dadhichi. The first PVC went to Major Somnath Sharma (posthumous), killed at Badgam, Kashmir, on 3 Nov 1947.
Project Veer Gatha (2021, Defence and Education Ministries) invites school students to write, draw and present on gallantry award winners. Its 5th edition drew over 1.92 crore students from 1.9 lakh schools (1st edition: about 8 lakh students, 4,788 schools), including 28,005 students from 91 CBSE schools in 18 countries.

Tamil Nadu link: Major Mukund Varadarajan of Chennai (44 Rashtriya Rifles) fell in a counter-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014 and received the Ashoka Chakra posthumously on Republic Day 2015. The Officers Training Academy, Chennai trains Short Service Commission officers.

Frequently asked questions

What is this news about?

Raksha Rajya Mantri (MoS Defence) Sanjay Seth launched the revamped Gallantry Awards portal (gallantryawards.gov.in) in New Delhi on 12 Nov 2026, with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh present.

What are the key facts to remember for the exam?

Launched by: MoS Defence Sanjay Seth; Ministry: Ministry of Defence; Aim: One digital record of gallantry awards, awardees, wars and operations since Independence; Previous revamp: 25 Jan 2021, eve of Republic Day, by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh.

What is the background to this news?

Wartime gallantry awards: Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra (instituted 26 Jan 1950). Peacetime: Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra (instituted 4 Jan 1952 as Ashoka Chakra Class I–III; renamed Ashoka, Kirti, Shaurya Chakra in 1967).

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Sources: PIB – Ministry of Defence (12 Nov 2026); ThePrint/PTI (12 Nov 2026). Compiled by Shanmugam IAS Academy.

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