War hero Abhinandan Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra

• President Ram Nath Kovind awarded the Vir Chakra to Indian Air Force ace pilot Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman.
• He was awarded the Vir Chakra for downing a Pakistani F-16 fighter plane during aerial combat on February 27, 2019, one day after the Balakot airstrike.
• Aside from Abhinandan Varthaman, Sapar Prakash Jadhav of the Corps of Engineers was awarded the Kirti Chakra (posthumously), the second-highest peacetime gallantry award, for neutralizing terrorists in a Jammu and Kashmir operation.

Important Takeaways

About Vir Chakra

• The Vir Chakra is an Indian wartime military bravery award given for acts of conspicuous heroism in the face of the enemy on the battlefield. It is the third-highest award in the hierarchy of wartime gallantry awards, after the Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra.
• First awarded: 1947
• First Awardee Person: Major Somnath Sharma