The Armed Forces of India are eligible for many military decorations awarded for extraordinary bravery and distinguished service during times of war and peace. Service and campaign medals have been awarded throughout India's history as an independent state.

Military medals

Decorations for precedence:

Wartime gallantry awards

	Param Vir Chakra (PVC)
	Maha Vir Chakra (MVC)
	Vir Chakra (VrC)

Peacetime gallantry awards

	Ashok Chakra(AC)
	Kirti Chakra (KC)
	Shaurya Chakra (SC)

Wartime distinguished service medals

	Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal (SYSM)
	Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM)
	Yudh Seva Medal (YSM)

Peacetime distinguished service medals

	Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM)
	Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM)
	Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM)

Distinguished service & gallantry medals

	Sena Medal (Army) (SM)
	Nausena Medal (Navy) (NM)
	Vayusena Medal (Air Force) (VM)

Service and campaign medals

	Wound Medal (Parakram Padak)
	General Service Medal 1947
	Samanya Seva Medal
	Special Service Medal
	Samar Seva Star
	Poorvi Star
	Paschimi Star
	Operation Vijay Star
	Siachen Glacier Medal
	Raksha Medal
	Sangram Medal
	Operation Vijay Medal
	Operation Parakram Medal
	Sainya Seva Medal
	High Altitude Medal
	Videsh Seva Medal

Long service awards

	Meritorious Service Medal
	Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
	30 Years Long Service Medal
	20 Years Long Service Medal
	9 Years Long Service Medal
	Territorial Army Decoration
	Territorial Army Medal

Independence medals

	Indian Independence Medal
	75th Independence Anniversary Medal
	50th Independence Anniversary Medal
	25th Independence Anniversary Medal

Military reconnaissance and exploration medal

MacGregor Medal[1]

Mention in Dispatches

Mention in Dispatches has been used since 1947, in order to recognize distinguished and meritorious service in operational areas and acts of gallantry which are not of a sufficiently high order to warrant the grant of gallantry awards.^[2]

Eligible personnel include all Army, Navy and Air Force personnel including personnel of the Reserve Forces, Territorial Army, Militia and other lawfully constituted Armed Forces, members of the Nursing Service and Civilians working under or with the Armed Forces.^[2]

Personnel can be mentioned in dispatches posthumously and multiple awards are also possible. A recipient of a Mention in a Despatch is entitled to wear an emblem, in the form of a lotus leaf on the ribbon of the relevant Campaign Medal. They are also issued with an official certificate from the Ministry of Defence.^[2]

Commendation Card

Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card

All three branches of the military issue Commendation Cards, which are badges awarded for "individual acts of gallantry or distinguished service or devotion to duty performed either in operation or non-operational areas. It is a type of gallantry award. The award will be for a specific act of bravery or distinguished service or special service. The award will not be made posthumously."

All three branches issue Commendations Cards at the level of the highest officer (Chief of the Army Staff, Chief of the Naval Staff and Chief of the Air Staff). The awards at lower levels seem to vary between services.^[3][4][5]

Order of wearing

The various decorations and medals are worn in the following order:^[6][7]

Precedence	Award Name	Ribbon
1	Bharat Ratna
2	Param Vir Chakra
3	Ashoka Chakra
4	Padma Vibhushan
5	Padma Bhushan
6	Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal
7	Param Vishisht Seva Medal
8	Maha Vir Chakra
9	Kirti Chakra
10	Padma Shri
11	Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak
12	Uttam Yudh Seva Medal
13	Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
14	Vir Chakra
15	Shaurya Chakra
16	Yudh Seva Medal
17	Sena Medal (for army personnel)
	Nau Sena Medal (for navy personnel)
	Vayu Sena Medal (for air force personnel)
18	Vishisht Seva Medal
19	Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak
20	Parakram Padak (Wound Medal)
21	General Service Medal 1947
22	Samanya Seva Medal - 1965
23	Special Service Medal
24	Samar Seva Star - 1965
25	Poorvi Star
26	Paschimi Star
27	Operation Vijay Star Medal
28	Siachen Glacier Medal
29	Raksha Medal – 1965
30	Sangram Medal
31	Operation Vijay Medal
32	Operation Parakram Medal
33	Sainya Seva Medal
34	High Altitude Medal
35	Videsh Seva Medal
36	Meritorious Service Medal
37	Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
38	Jeevan Raksha Padak
39	Territorial Army Decoration
40	Territorial Army Medal
41	Indian Independence Medal - 1947
42	Independence Medal - 1950
43	75th Independence Anniversary Medal
44	50th Independence Anniversary Medal
45	25th Independence Anniversary Medal
46	30 Years Long Service Medal
47	20 Years Long Service Medal
48	9 Years Long Service Medal
49	Commonwealth Awards
50	United Nations Awards
51	Other Awards

Note that the Police Medals, Fire Services Medals, Correctional Services Medals and Home Guards and Civil Defence Medals are excluded from the above list. The above order of precedence of awards is as per the Indian Army. There are slight variations, especially in the campaign medals, in the order followed by the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.

Wearing medals by the next of kins

An order issued on 11 July 2019 by the Indian Army's "Ceremonial and Welfare Adjutant General's Branch" made it permissible for the close relatives of the deceased military personnel to wear their medals on the right side of chest while attending homage ceremonies at war memorials, cemeteries and funerals. These gallantry or service awards of deceased can be worn by their family members, such as spouses, children, parents, forefathers while wearing civil clothes.^[8]