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Mention in Despatches  

Instituted on 25 Nov 1950 for distinguished and meritorious service in operational areas and acts of gallantry which are not of a sufficiently high order to warrant the grant of gallantry awards.

Design of the Medal

Medal: A recipient of a Mention-in-Despatches shall be entitled to wear an emblem, which shall be a lotus leaf on the ribbon of the Campaign Medal, relating to the Campaign in which the mention was made.

1.         In order to recognize distinguished and meritorious service in operational areas and acts of gallantry which are not of a sufficiently high order to warrant the grant of gallantry awards, the President is pleased to approve of the institution of a system of Mention in Despatches. During an operation the Chief of the Staff of the Service concerned will forward to the Hon'ble Minister for Defence every six months or specially at shorter intervals if occasion should arise, a list of persons deserving recognition, in the following from : - 

"I have the honour to forward herewith a list of officers, nurses, other ranks, rating, airmen and civilians whom I consider worthy of mention for their services during the period from ----------------to ------------------------".  

2.         All Army, Navy and Air Force personnel including personnel of the Reserve Forces, Territorial Army, Militia and other lawfully constituted Armed Forces, members of the Nursing Service and Civilians working under or with the Armed Forces will be eligible for mention in Despatches. Names may be included posthumously. There is no objection to a person's name being mentioned in more than one despatch.  

3.         A certificate in the following from will be issued to each individual whose names is mentioned in a despatch: -  

"Under the orders of the President of the Republic of India the mention of ---------------------'s name in a dispatch by the Chief of the Army Staff/Chief of Naval Staff/Chief of the Air Staff, was published in the Gazette of India on -------.  

By order,  
            Secretary to the Government of India , 
            Ministry of Defence.

4.         A recipient of a Mention in a Despatch shall be entitled to wear an emblem, which shall be lotus leaf on the ribbon of the Campaign Medal, relating to the Campaign in which the mention was made.

5.         The above system of Mention in Despatches shall be deemed to take effect from the fifteenth day of August in the year One Thousand Nine Hundred and Forty-Seven.