The Indian Independence Medal was instituted by the

Dominion of India The Dominion of India, officially the Union of India,* Quote: “The first collective use (of the word "dominion") occurred at the Colonial Conference (April to May 1907) when the title was conferred upon Canada and Australia. New Zealand and N ...

and approved by King

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...

by way of a Royal Warrant dated 21 July 1948. It was a commemorative medal for service with the Indian armed forces at the time of independence in August 1947. Attached British personnel were eligible. It was awarded to all those who, on 15 August 1947, were members of the armed forces of India, including the forces of princely states that acceded to Indian rule before 1 January 1948. British military personnel who remained in India after independence and who served with Indian forces up to 1 January 1948 qualified, although those with British units awaiting repatriation did not. The medal is circular, in diameter and made of

cupronickel Cupronickel or copper-nickel (CuNi) is an alloy of copper that contains nickel and strengthening elements, such as iron and manganese. The copper content typically varies from 60 to 90 percent. (Monel is a nickel-copper alloy that contains a minimu ...

. The obverse has the

Ashoka Chakra Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...

wheel surmounted by a crown, surrounded by the inscription ''GEORGIUS VI D:G: BRITT:OMN: REX: FID DEF''. The reverse shows the Ashoka lions, which is the State Emblem of India, with the words ''INDIAN INDEPENDENCE'' above and the date ''15th AUGUST 1947'' below. The ribbon consists of three equal stripes of saffron, white and green, the colours on the flag of India. The medal is worn on the left chest, with the saffron furthest from the left shoulder. In most cases, the name and details of the recipient were impressed on the edge of the medal. A Police Independence Medal was instituted in 1950 for award to all serving members of India's police forces. The design is similar to the Indian Independence Medal. The obverse shows the Ashokan Lions above the Indian National motto ''Truth Alone Prevails'' in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

( सत्यमेव जयते ) with the words ''INDIAN INDEPENDENCE'' above and ''26th JANUARY 1950'' below — the day India became a republic. The reverse shows the chakra wheel with a lotus border above and the word ''POLICE'' below. The ribbon is red with a blue-edged orange central stripe.

References

{{reflist Military awards and decorations of India Military awards and decorations of the United Kingdom

See also

References