Somnath Sharma

Major Somnath Sharma, PVC, was an Indian military officer and the first recipient of India's highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra (PVC). Born on January 31, 1923, he was commissioned into the 8th Battalion, 19th Hyderabad Regiment in 1942. He served in the Arakan Campaign of World War II, during which he was mentioned in despatches for his bravery and leadership.

On November 3, 1947, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, Major Sharma and his company were deployed to Badgam in the Kashmir Valley. His unit came under heavy attack from a tribal lashkar of approximately 700 infiltrators supported by mortars. Despite being heavily outnumbered and handicapped by a plaster cast on his left hand from a hockey injury, Major Sharma continuously exposed himself to enemy fire to coordinate defense and run ammunition to his men.

While actively fighting and encouraging his men, an enemy mortar shell landed on an ammunition dump near him, causing an explosion that killed him instantly. His heroic stand delayed the enemy's advance, allowing Indian reinforcements to arrive and save the Srinagar airfield from capture. For his exceptional bravery and self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy, he was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, becoming its inaugural recipient.