Special Seva Medal
Authority
President’s Secretariat Notification Nos. 8 Pres/86 dated 03 Feb 1986, 65-Pres/89 dated 20 Jul 1989, 80-Pres/89 dated 19 Oct 1989, 52-Pres/90 dated 06 Jun 1990, 169-Pres/95 dated 03 Aug 95 and Min of Def No. 3(11)/92/D(Ceremonials) dated 25 Oct 1995.
Conditions of eligibility
The medal shall be awarded for services rendered by the Armed Forces personnel under active service conditions or conditions akin thereto. The medal shall be awarded for minor, short duration operations.
An individual qualifying for the Medal for the first time shall be awarded the medal together with a clasp indicating the particular operation for which it is awarded. For all subsequent operations for which the issue of a Clasp is approved, only the Clasp indicating the particular operation shall be awarded. The bar of the clasp shall have the Name of the place of the Operation engraved on it.
Eligible categories
The following categories of personnel serving in an Operation or Concessional area within the territorial or time limits to be specified separately for each Operation will be eligible for the award
- All ranks of the Army, Navy and Air Force, and of the Reserve, Territorial and Militia Forces, and civilians of either sex in all walks of life.
- All other lawfully constituted forces and security forces operating under the Operational control of the Regular Armed Forces.
Design of the Medal and Riband
Medal The medal shall be octagonal in shape, made of cupro-nickel, 35 millimetres in diameter and fitted to a plain horizontal bar with the standard fitting. It shall have the symbol of bird ‘FALCON’ inscribed on its obverse, and State Emblem with its motto and the inscription ‘SPECIAL SERVICE MEDAL’ on the reverse.
Riband The medal shall be worn suspended from the left breast by a silk Riband which shall be 32 millimetres in width. The Riband shall be divided in three parts with 8mm, 16mm and 8mm, of red colour, steel grey and red respectively.
