The President's Police Medal is a decoration awarded to members of law enforcement in India. Established on 1 March 1951, the medal was originally called the President's Police and Fire Service Medal. The medal is awarded for either gallantry or distinguished service, with the gallantry version of the medal being accorded a higher precedence. The medal is awarded annually on Republic Day and

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Many ...

History

Awards and honours of the

Commonwealth realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealt ...

s ceased to be awarded in India after the promulgation of the

Constitution of India The Constitution of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme law of India. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental ...

on 26 January 1950. Upon becoming a republic, it was necessary for India to establish its own

honours system An order is a visible honour awarded by a sovereign state, monarch, dynastic house or organisation to a person, typically in recognition of individual merit, that often comes with distinctive insignia such as collars, medals, badges, and sashe ...

. For police, that meant replacing the King's Police and Fire Service Medal and the

Indian Police Medal The Indian Police Medal (IPM) was an award of the British Raj presented to both European and Asian police personnel. Established in 1932, the award was presented for meritorious service and gallantry that was of a lesser degree than what was requ ...

. The President's Police Medal was established 1 March 1951 by the President of India. Originally, the medal was called the President's Police and Fire Service Medal. At the same time a lower ranking decoration was established, the Police Medal. Eligible service for the medals was made retroactive to 26 January 1950.

Criteria

Gallantry

The President's Police Medal for Gallantry is awarded for, "gallantry in saving life and property, or in preventing crime or arresting criminals." The medal may be awarded to any member of a police service in India, and is awarded without regard to rank or time in service. Recipients of the medal are granted a monthly stipend that is paid to them even in retirement, and upon the recipient's death it continues to be paid to their surviving spouse.

Distinguished service

The President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service is awarded for long and distinguished service to individuals who have served at least 21 years in the police service or in the central police and security organizations. Individuals must be prior recipients of the Police Medal for Meritorious Service and must have held that medal for at least six years.

Appearance

The Police Medal is made of bronze and is circular in shape, 1 ³⁄₈ in (35 mm) in diameter. The

obverse Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ...

of the medal bears the

State Emblem of India The State Emblem of India is the national emblem of the Republic of India and is used by the union government, many state governments, and other government agencies. The emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka, an ancient sculp ...

in the centre with the words ''POLICE MEDAL'' above and the state motto, सत्यमेव जयते (''

Satyameva Jayate Satyameva Jayate (, ) is a part of a ''mantra'' from the Hindu scripture ''Mundaka Upanishad''. Following the independence of India, it was adopted as the national motto of India on 26 January 1950, the day India became a republic. It is inscri ...

'') in

Devanagri Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the a ...

script below. On either side of the medal are two five-pointed stars separating the inscription. The reverse of the medal bears a wreath with the words ''INDIAN'' above and ''POLICE'' below. In the centre is inscribed either ''FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE'' or ''FOR GALLANTRY'', depending on the conditions of the award. The recipient's name is inscribed on the rim of the medal. The ribbon of the medal is 1 ³⁄₈ in (35 mm) wide in dark blue, with silver edges and a broad central stripe of crimson. Awards presented for gallantry have thin silver stripes splitting the dark blue sections in half.https://police.py.gov.in/Police%20manual/Chapter%20PDF/CHAPTER%2019%20Rewards%20and%20Medals.pdf

References

External links

Government Website - Police Medal Awardees List
{{Indian honours and decorations Civil awards and decorations of India Law enforcement awards and honors Law enforcement in India Awards established in 1951 1951 establishments in India