Awards
Samanya Seva MedalPeriod : 8 May 1975Intended as a successor for the General Service Medal 1947 (though the time period of some of the operations seem to overlap?), the General Service Medal, 1965 (or, more properly to avoid confusion, the Samanya Seva Medal, 1965) was awarded for specific services in specified actions which were represented by bars attached to the medal. While all bars observed have been produced in Hindi rather than English, they will frequently be refereed to by their English names. At the request of friends, and since the bars are in Hindi and may therefore present identification problems, I have, where possible, attached close-up images of the bars. I hope this will aid in their identification. Throughout, and regardless of the specified time periods for qualification decoration, wounds resulting in evacuation, or death in circumstances of active service result in automatic eligibility for the medal and appropriate bar. Likewise, time spent as a prisoner-of-war is allowed to count toward the qualifying period. Established: 8 May 1975, by the President of India (with effect from 26 January 1965). Obverse: A circular 35-mm copper-nickel medal. In the center, the state emblem and, to the left "Samanya Seva Medal" in Hindi and to the right "SAMANYA SEVA MEDAL". At the bottom, the date "1965". The medal is suspended by a straight-bar suspender and is usually named on the edge. Reverse: The Indian elephant badge, drawn from the design of the flag of the Indian president. Ribbon: 30.5 mm, medium green with three, equally spaced, 3.5 mm stripes of red, dark blue, and light blue. Medium green 5 mm, red 3.5 mm, medium green 5 mm, dark blue 3.5 mm, medium green 5 mm, light blue 3.5 mm, medium green 5 mm. As it has been so common and so widely produced, there is some variability of the precise shades of the colors in this ribbon. These color variations have no significance (as some have stated).
Outline: Nathula Chola (1967) - instituted on 8 May 1975 (as one of the original bars for the medal), this bar was awarded for service along the Sino-Indian border for one day of service in the border incidents at Nathula (11-16 September 1967) or Chola (1 October 1967) - air force personnel would qualify by one operational sortie during these periods
Nagaland (1975-) - earlier service was recognized by the "Naga Hills" bar to the General Service Medal, 1947 | Other CategoriesSamanya Seva MedalMain CategoriesParam Vir ChakraAshoka Chakra Maha Vir Chakra Kirti Chakra Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Vir Chakra Shaurya Chakra President's Police and Fire Services Medal for Gallantry Sena Medal |