The soldiers behind the medals

On 3 November 1947, during the invasion of Kashmir, Major Somnath Sharma's D Company of 4 Kumaon was on a fighting patrol near Badgam, in the Kashmir valley. His company was attacked from three sides by an enemy force estimated at around 500, and began taking heavy casualties.

With his right hand in a plaster cast from an earlier injury, Sharma moved repeatedly across open ground under intense fire to steady his sections, even helping fill magazines for his light machine guns. He radioed that he would fight to the last man and last round rather than withdraw. He was killed when a mortar bomb exploded near him.

His stand inflicted heavy losses on the attackers and delayed their advance on Srinagar, buying time for Indian reinforcements to be flown in and secure the airfield. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the first since the decoration was instituted.

Remembered for: Defence of Srinagar airfield at Badgam; India's first Param Vir Chakra

On 6 February 1948 at No. 2 picquet on Taindhar, near Naushera, Naik Jadunath Singh commanded a forward section post of nine men that bore the full brunt of a determined enemy assault.

His small force beat back the first attack, and though several men were wounded, he reorganised them to meet a second wave, which was also driven off. Wounded himself, and with his men no longer able to fight, he came out of the sangar alone and charged the advancing enemy with a Sten gun, taking them by surprise and scattering them.

He was killed in this final charge, struck in the head and chest. His defence held the position and protected the approaches to Naushera. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

Remembered for: Single-handed last charge defending a forward post at Taindhar, Naushera

On 8 April 1948, Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane of the Bombay Sappers was tasked with clearing mines and roadblocks on the Naushera-Rajauri road, working ahead of an armoured advance through hilly country.

Early in the day enemy mortar fire killed two men of his party and wounded five, including Rane himself. Refusing evacuation, he reorganised his men and continued clearing mines and obstacles, often working under direct machine-gun and mortar fire and at times right beside the tanks. Over the following days he repeatedly cleared the route, enabling the armour to push forward and supporting the recapture of Rajauri.

He survived and was one of the first living recipients of the Param Vir Chakra, awarded for his sustained gallantry over these operations. He later retired as a Major.

Remembered for: Clearing mines and roadblocks under fire to open the Naushera-Rajauri road for tanks

In July 1948 Pakistani forces captured a strategic feature in the Tithwal sector of Jammu and Kashmir. Company Havildar Major Piru Singh of 6 Rajputana Rifles was in the forward-most section of a company tasked to retake an enemy post.

As his section came under heavy medium machine-gun fire and lost more than half its men, Piru Singh refused to falter. With battle cries to rally the survivors, he charged the nearest enemy machine-gun position, silenced it, and pressed on to clear the next trench in hand-to-hand fighting despite being wounded.

He was hit in the head by a bullet as he rose to assault the third enemy bunker. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his outstanding gallantry and leadership.

Remembered for: Charging enemy machine-gun positions at Tithwal almost single-handed

In December 1961 Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria of 3/1 Gorkha Rifles was serving with the United Nations force in the Congo. On 5 December his small party was sent to act as a cutting-off force against a roadblock set up by Katangese gendarmerie at a roundabout in Elizabethville.

His force unexpectedly came under heavy automatic and small-arms fire from a dug-in enemy supported by two armoured cars and around 90 men. Rather than hold back, Salaria led an immediate assault, his men knocking out the armoured cars and killing many of the enemy, breaking their resistance.

He was hit in the neck by automatic fire but continued to fight until he collapsed from loss of blood, and later died of his wounds. He is the only UN peacekeeper to be awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

Remembered for: Charging a roadblock at Elizabethville, Katanga, while serving as a UN peacekeeper

On 18 November 1962, during the Sino-Indian War, Major Shaitan Singh commanded C Company of 13 Kumaon holding the high, isolated position of Rezang La in Ladakh, at around 16,000 feet. The Chinese subjected the company to heavy artillery, mortar and small-arms fire and attacked in successive waves of overwhelming strength.

Moving from one platoon post to another at great personal risk, Shaitan Singh steadied his hard-pressed men and directed their fire as they inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers. He was seriously wounded but kept leading until the company, cut off and out of ammunition, was largely overrun.

He was killed in the battle. Rezang La became one of the most celebrated last stands in Indian military history, and he was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

Remembered for: Leading C Company's last stand at Rezang La against overwhelming Chinese forces

Before dawn on 23 October 1962, Subedar Joginder Singh commanded a platoon of 1 Sikh holding a ridge near Tongpen La on the Bum La axis in NEFA (present-day Arunachal Pradesh), astride the route to Tawang. The Chinese attacked the ridge in waves, each around 200 strong.

His platoon cut down the first wave and halted the second, but by then had lost about half its men. Wounded in the thigh, Joginder Singh refused evacuation and himself manned a light machine gun to keep firing on the enemy.

When the position became untenable and ammunition ran low, he and the few survivors fixed bayonets and charged the advancing Chinese, bayoneting several before being overpowered. He was captured and died of his wounds in Chinese custody. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

Remembered for: Defending the Bum La ridge near Tongpen La with a final bayonet charge

During the 1965 war, the Battle of Asal Uttar in the Khem Karan sector saw Pakistan's armour, including Patton tanks, attack Indian positions. On 9-10 September 1965, Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid of 4 Grenadiers engaged the advancing tanks with a jeep-mounted 106 mm recoilless (RCL) gun.

Moving to exposed firing positions, he knocked out several enemy tanks one after another, blunting the armoured thrust and steadying his comrades. He was killed when an enemy tank fired on his position as he engaged it.

His citation credits him with destroying enemy tanks at Asal Uttar; accounts of the exact number vary, but his action was central to halting the Pakistani armoured advance. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

Remembered for: Destroying Pakistani Patton tanks with a recoilless gun at Asal Uttar

In September 1965 Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Tarapore led The Poona Horse in the armoured thrust towards Phillora and Chawinda in the Sialkot sector. When his regiment was counter-attacked by heavy enemy armour, he held his ground and pressed home the attack, inspiring his crews as they destroyed a large number of enemy tanks.

Wounded in the fighting, he refused to be evacuated and continued to command from the front through several days of action, capturing successive objectives. In the later battles his own tank was hit repeatedly.

He was mortally wounded and died of his injuries. The highest-ranking recipient of the award, he was posthumously honoured with the Param Vir Chakra for leadership and gallantry sustained over six days of armoured combat.

Remembered for: Leading the Poona Horse's armoured thrust in the Sialkot sector while wounded

On the night of 3 December 1971, 14 Guards attacked the well-fortified Pakistani position at Gangasagar, near Agartala on the Eastern front. Lance Naik Albert Ekka was in the assaulting company as it came under heavy fire.

Seeing a light machine gun causing casualties, he charged and silenced it, bayoneting the crew, though he was seriously wounded in doing so. Later, as a medium machine gun from a fortified bunker held up the advance, he crawled forward despite his wounds, lobbed a grenade into the bunker, then climbed up, entered it, and bayoneted the gunner to silence the gun.

His actions cleared the way for his battalion to take the objective. He succumbed to his wounds and was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

Remembered for: Silencing enemy bunkers at Gangasagar during the assault on the Eastern front

On 14 December 1971, Srinagar airfield was attacked by a wave of Pakistani Sabre jets. Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, a Gnat pilot on readiness duty, scrambled into the air even as the enemy aircraft were bombing and strafing the runway.

Despite being heavily outnumbered, he engaged the Sabres at very low level, scoring hits on one and damaging another. He continued the unequal fight against multiple attackers at treetop height, holding his own against the odds.

His Gnat was eventually hit and he was killed. He is the only member of the Indian Air Force to be awarded the Param Vir Chakra, for his extraordinary flying skill and courage in defence of the airfield.

Remembered for: Lone Gnat defence of Srinagar air base; the only IAF Param Vir Chakra

During the Battle of Basantar in the Shakargarh sector, on 16 December 1971, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal of The Poona Horse moved his troop to reinforce another squadron facing a strong Pakistani armoured counter-attack at Jarpal.

He charged the enemy positions with his tanks, overrunning defences and capturing weapon crews, and helped destroy a number of attacking tanks, several of them himself. When his own tank was hit and set ablaze and he was severely wounded, he refused to abandon it and destroyed yet another enemy tank before his tank was hit again, killing him.

His stand helped blunt the enemy thrust. Just 21 years old, he was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, one of the youngest recipients of the honour.

Remembered for: Holding the line with his tank at Basantar against a Pakistani armoured counter-attack

On 15 December 1971, 3 Grenadiers was tasked to establish a bridgehead across the Basantar river in the Shakargarh sector, which required first capturing the strongly held enemy locality of Jarpal. Major Hoshiar Singh, commanding the left forward company, led the attack and took the objective.

The next day the enemy launched three counter-attacks, two of them supported by armour. Unmindful of heavy shelling and tank fire, Hoshiar Singh went from trench to trench encouraging his men to stand fast. When a shell knocked out a machine-gun crew, he, though seriously wounded, manned the gun himself and inflicted heavy casualties, helping repulse every attack.

He survived his wounds and the bridgehead held. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, and was one of the few living recipients of the honour.

Remembered for: Holding the captured Jarpal bridgehead against repeated armoured counter-attacks

In 1987 Naib Subedar Bana Singh of 8 JAK Light Infantry was part of Operation Rajiv to capture a Pakistani post on the Siachen Glacier, perched at around 21,000 feet, that dominated the area. Earlier attempts had failed at great cost.

On 26 June 1987, leading a small team, Bana Singh climbed a steep wall of ice and approached the post from an unexpected direction. Using the cover of a blizzard and poor visibility, his team reached the position, cleared the bunker with grenades and close-quarter fighting, and captured the post.

He survived, and the captured feature was renamed Bana Post in his honour. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for this feat in some of the harshest terrain on earth.

Remembered for: Capturing the highest post on the Siachen Glacier (later named Bana Post)

On the night of 25 November 1987, during Operation Pawan with the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka, Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran's column was ambushed by militants while returning from a search operation.

With great presence of mind he led his men around to the rear of the ambush party and charged into them, taking them by surprise. In the hand-to-hand fighting a militant shot him in the chest; undaunted, he snatched the man's rifle and shot him dead. Though mortally wounded, he continued to direct his men and steady them until he died.

His action broke the ambush and inflicted heavy losses on the militants. He is the only IPKF soldier awarded the Param Vir Chakra, conferred posthumously.

Remembered for: Counter-charging an ambush during IPKF operations in Sri Lanka

During the Kargil War, Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey of 1/11 Gorkha Rifles fought in the Batalik sector, where he earlier helped recapture the operationally vital Jubar Top. His finest action came on the night of 2-3 July 1999 during the advance to Khalubar.

As his platoon came under intense fire from surrounding heights, Pandey led the assault from the front, moving his men to advantage and personally clearing successive enemy positions. He was wounded in the shoulder and legs but pressed on, destroying a bunker with a grenade even as he was hit by a fatal burst on the forehead.

His assault secured the objective. Famously, when asked at his SSB interview why he wanted to join the Army, he had replied that he wanted to win the Param Vir Chakra - which he was posthumously awarded.

Remembered for: Clearing enemy bunkers at Khalubar; 'I want to win the Param Vir Chakra'

On the night of 3-4 July 1999, Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav was part of the leading Ghatak (commando) platoon of 18 Grenadiers tasked to capture strategic bunkers on Tiger Hill. The approach was a steep, snow-bound, rocky cliff, and he volunteered to lead and fix the climbing rope for his team.

Near the top the enemy opened intense fire, killing the commander and others and stalling the platoon. Though hit by multiple bullets, Yadav continued climbing, reached the enemy bunkers, lobbed grenades and engaged the defenders in close combat, killing several and silencing the automatic fire.

He survived grievous wounds, and his action was pivotal in capturing the objective. The youngest recipient of the award, he was honoured with the Param Vir Chakra.

Remembered for: Leading the Ghatak platoon's assault on Tiger Hill despite multiple bullet wounds

During Operation Vijay in the Kargil War, Captain Vikram Batra of 13 JAK Rifles commanded Delta Company. On 20 June 1999 he led the assault on the strategically important Point 5140, skirting around the feature to maintain surprise and killing enemy soldiers in hand-to-hand fighting to take the position. His success signal and his spirited cry of 'Yeh Dil Maange More' made him a household name.

He went on to lead the attack on the heavily defended Point 4875 in the Mushkoh valley. On 7 July 1999, while clearing enemy positions and protecting a wounded comrade, he was killed.

The capture of Point 4875, later named 'Batra Top' in his honour, was a key success of the war. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

Remembered for: Capture of Point 5140 and Point 4875; 'Yeh Dil Maange More'

On 4 July 1999, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar of 13 JAK Rifles volunteered to be the leading scout for the attack to capture Area Flat Top of Point 4875 in the Mushkoh valley.

When enemy automatic fire from a sangar stalled the assault, he charged the position, killing three intruders in hand-to-hand combat and getting seriously wounded. He then charged a second bunker; the surprised enemy fled, leaving behind a machine gun, which he picked up and used to cut down the fleeing soldiers. Bleeding heavily, he refused to be evacuated and kept fighting.

His action was instrumental in capturing the feature. He survived and was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, going on to serve for many years and rise through the ranks.

Remembered for: Charging and clearing enemy bunkers as lead scout on Area Flat Top

On 26 November 2008, terrorists attacked multiple sites in South Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, an Army officer on deputation to the National Security Guard's 51 Special Action Group, was the team commander deployed to clear the hotel and rescue hostages.

During the operation his team came under fire and a fellow commando was hit. Sandeep went after the terrorists, and though wounded in the arm, he urged his team to safety and continued to engage the attackers inside the hotel. He was killed in the action.

His leadership and sacrifice helped the operation that ultimately freed hostages and neutralised the attackers. He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award.

Remembered for: Leading the NSG operation at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel during 26/11

On the night of 26-27 November 2008, Assistant Sub-Inspector Tukaram Omble of the Mumbai Police, a former Army soldier, was part of a team manning a checkpoint when two terrorists in a hijacked vehicle were intercepted at Girgaum Chowpatty.

When one of them, Ajmal Kasab, feigned surrender and then opened fire, the unarmed Omble lunged forward and seized the barrel of Kasab's rifle, refusing to let go even as he was shot multiple times at point-blank range. By holding the weapon down, he prevented Kasab from firing on the other policemen.

Omble died of his wounds, but his sacrifice allowed Kasab to be captured alive - the only attacker taken alive, whose interrogation provided crucial evidence about the planning behind the attacks. He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra.

Remembered for: Capturing terrorist Ajmal Kasab alive by holding on to his rifle

On 26 May 2016, Havildar Hangpan Dada of the Assam Regiment, serving with 35 Rashtriya Rifles, was part of an operation against infiltrating terrorists on the hilly slopes near Naugam in Jammu and Kashmir, close to the Line of Control.

Climbing to engage the militants at close range, he killed two of them in close-quarter fighting and then killed a third in hand-to-hand combat. In the course of the action he was fatally wounded.

His courage and aggression neutralised the infiltrating group. A native of Arunachal Pradesh, he was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award.

Remembered for: Killing multiple terrorists in close combat near the Line of Control