View source for Param Vishisht Seva Medal

{{Short description|India military award for peacetime service}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox military award
| name = Param Vishisht Seva Medal
| image = [[File:Param-vishisht-seva-medal.png|350px|Param-vishisht-seva-medal]]
| type = Military award
| country = {{flag|India}}
| established = 26 January 1960<br>(''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<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/awards/service.html|title = Service Awards - Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force}}</ref>
| ribbon =[[File:Param_Vishisht_Seva_Medal_ribbon.svg|150px]] 
| higher = [[File:Padma Bhushan Ribbon.svg|35px]] [[Padma Bhushan]]<ref name=precedence>{{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}}</ref> 
|same = [[File:Sarvottam_Yudh_Seva_Medal_ribbon.svg|35px]] [[Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal]]{{efn|Though the Param Vishisht Seva Medal is placed below the [[Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal]] in the precedence, it is considered as a peacetime equivalent of Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal.}}<ref name=precedence/>
| lower = [[File:Maha_Vir_Chakra_ribbon.svg|35px]] [[Maha Vir Chakra]]<ref name=precedence/>
}}

'''Param Vishisht Seva Medal''' ('''PVSM''') ([[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration|IAST]]: {{IAST|Parama Viśiṣṭa Sēvā}}, {{Lit|Supreme Distinguished Service Medal}}) is a [[Military awards and decorations|military award]] of [[India]]. It is the highest peacetime medal of the [[Indian Armed Forces]],<ref name="Precedence_2020">{{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]]}}</ref> and is awarded for "distinguished service of the most exceptional order."<ref name="GazetteExt_1960">{{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]]}}</ref> The medal is awarded for "distinguished service rendered by personnel of the Armed Forces."<ref name="GazetteExt_1960"/><ref>{{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}}</ref> All ranks of the Armed Forces, including [[Territorial Army (India)|Territorial Army]], [[Auxiliary Force (India)|Auxiliary]] and Reserve forces, [[Military Nursing Service|Nursing officers]] and other members of the Nursing services and other lawfully constituted Armed Forces are eligible for the medal,<ref name=":0">{{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}}</ref> which may be awarded multiple times as well as posthumously.<ref name="Gazette_Medal_1967"/>

==History==
The Param Vishisht Seva Medal was originally instituted as the "Vishisht Seva Medal, Class I" on 26 January 1960.<ref name="GazetteExt_1960"/> Five other medals were instituted on the same day: the [[Sainya Seva Medal]], [[Sena Medal]], [[Nau Sena Medal]] and the [[Vayu Sena Medal]].<ref name="PIB">{{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}}</ref> It was renamed on 27 January 1967,<ref name="Gazette_Medal_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, is 35&nbsp;mm in diameter, and fitted to a plain horizontal bar with standard fitting.<ref name="Gazette_Medal_1960"/> On its obverse is embossed a five-pointed star and on its reverse is the [[Lion Capital of Ashoka|Indian state emblem]] and the inscription embossed along the upper rim.<ref name="Gazette_Medal_1960"/> The golden riband is 32&nbsp;mm in diameter with one dark blue stripe down the centre dividing it into two equal parts.<ref name="Gazette_Medal_1960">{{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]]}}</ref><ref name="Gazette_Medal_1967">{{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]]}}</ref> On 27 January 1967, a miniature of the medal was authorised for certain occasions.<ref name="Gazette_Medal_1967"/>

==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.<ref name="Gazette_Medal_1967"/> 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
|-
|1
|[[Rear admiral (India)|Rear Admiral]]
|Bansh Raj Singh
|{{navy|India}}
|26 January 1970
|20 January 1972
|-
|2
|[[Major general (India)|Major General]]
|Naresh Kumar
|{{army|India}}
|26 January 1983
|26 January 1989
|-
|}

== Lists of recipients ==
*[[List of Param Vishisht Seva Medal recipients (1960–1969)]]
*[[List of Param Vishisht Seva Medal recipients (1970–1979)]]
*[[List of Param Vishisht Seva Medal recipients (1980–1989)]]
*[[List of Param Vishisht Seva Medal recipients (1990–1999)]]
*[[List of Param Vishisht Seva Medal recipients (2000–2009)]]
*[[List of Param Vishisht Seva Medal recipients (2010–2019)]]
*[[List of Param Vishisht Seva Medal recipients (2020–2029)]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
<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]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal|*]]


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