Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon became the first member of the Indian Air Force to receive which of the following gallantry awards?
Param Vir Chakra
Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon of No. 18 Squadron flew the Folland Gnat during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
Step 1 — On 14 December 1971, Pakistani Sabre jets attacked Srinagar airfield. Sekhon took off under attack and engaged six Sabres, hitting two before his aircraft was shot down and he was killed.
Step 2 — For this action he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest wartime gallantry award, posthumously. He is the first, and as of 2026 the only, member of the Indian Air Force to receive it.
Step 3 — The Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra are the second and third highest wartime gallantry awards and had been given to air force personnel before 1971. The Ashoka Chakra is a peacetime gallantry award, not a wartime one.
Param Vir Chakra option is correct.
Similar Questions
Statement I: Operation Safed Sagar was the Indian Air Force’s codename for its air operations during the Kargil War of 1999.
Statement II: The primary objective of Operation Safed Sagar was to provide air support to Indian ground forces and target Pakistani positions in high-altitude conflict zones.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding Operation Rajiv:
1. It was launched in 1987 to capture the strategically significant Quaid Post in the Siachen Glacier region from Pakistani forces.
2. Army Day in India is observed every year to commemorate the success, and honour the supreme sacrifice made during this war.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon and the Param Vir Chakra, consider the following statements.
1. He was the first individual from the Indian Air Force to be awarded India’s highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra.
2. The Param Vir Chakra is octagonal in shape, made of silver, and bears a single Vajra with the Ashoka Chakra embossed at the centre.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Which of the following armed forces of India was established on 8 October 1932 and later had Subroto Mukerjee as its first Indian Chief?
Important Questions from Defence
Which one of the following is the best description of ‘INS Astradharini’, that was in the news recently?
Who out of the following options had served as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army?
What the first ‘A’ stand for in the acronym AFSPA?
In which of the following places was the Military exercise Ekuverin took place in 2019?
Which of the following app has recently been launched by army for the soldiers to track details like posting and promotions?
