In News:

On the eve of the 79th Independence Day, President DroupadiMurmu approved the awarding of seven SarvottamYudhSeva Medals (SYSM), the nation’s highest wartime distinguished service honour, to the leaders of Operation Sindoor, marking the first such awards since the Kargil War.

About the SarvottamYudhSeva Medal:

• Institution: 26 June 1980, to recognise distinguished service of the highest order during war, conflict, or hostilities.
• Eligibility: All ranks of the Army, Navy, Air Force, including Territorial Army Units, Auxiliary and Reserve Forces, and lawfully constituted Armed Forces when embodied. Nursing officers and members of the Nursing Services are also eligible. Awards can be given posthumously.
• Design: Circular medal, 35 mm in diameter, gold gilt, with the State Emblem and inscription “SARVOTTAM YUDH SEVA MEDAL” on the obverse, and a five-pointed star on the reverse. The ribbon is golden with a red vertical stripe in the centre. Subsequent awards are recognised by a Bar on the ribbon with a miniature insignia.
• Significance: Considered the wartime equivalent of the Param VishishtSeva Medal (PVSM) for exceptional service in peacetime. Previously awarded to three officers for Kargil War leadership: Lt Gen Amarjit Singh Kalkat, Air Marshal Vinod Patney, and Lt Gen Hari Mohan Khanna.