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NCERT Solutions Poorvi Chapter 2 A Tale of Valour — Let us explore

Book page 68 & 69 Updated on2026-09-05

Q1.
Out of twenty-one PVC awardees, Major Somnath Sharma was the first recipient of the PVC, and Captain Vikram Batra was the last recipient of the PVC, the highest gallantry award. [Captain Vikram Batra, is popularly remembered as the “Shershah of Kargil”. His iconic success signal was ‘Yeh Dil Mange More’. Captain Vikram Batra, the D Company commander was tasked to capture Point 5140 on 20 June 1999, which he did with exemplary courage. After Point 5140 was captured, 13 JAK RIF was tasked to capture Point 4875. On 07 July 1999, Captain Batra led the assault from the front and engaged in a physical fight with the enemy. He killed five enemy soldiers at point blank range and himself sustained serious injuries. Despite his injuries, his dauntless determination inspired his men to clear the enemy from a dominating position. Later, he succumbed to his injuries. His fearless determination and leadership encouraged his company men to avenge his death and finally captured Point 4875. His inspiring leadership, dedication to duty, and steadfast love for his country continue to be an inspiration for the younger generation. He attended the call of duty with absolute disregard for his personal safety. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, (Posthumously).]
Answer

The book places the unit's first hero beside its most recent one, and the pairing is worth reading carefully. Set the two side by side and the similarities are striking.

Major Somnath Sharma, PVCCaptain Vikram Batra, PVC
WarIndo–Pakistan War, 1947–48Kargil War, 1999
UnitD Company, 4 KUMAOND Company, 13 JAK RIF
ActionHeld Badgam, 3 November 1947Captured Point 5140 (20 June); assault on Point 4875 (7 July)
Injured before / during the actionWent into battle with his left hand in plasterFought on after sustaining serious injuries
What his men did afterwardsHeld the position for over six hours moreCleared the enemy and captured Point 4875
AwardParam Vir Chakra (posthumous) — the first everParam Vir Chakra (posthumous)
The common thread the book wants you to notice: both men commanded a D Company, both were already hurt, both led from the front — and in both cases the position was taken or held after the commander had fallen. That is the definition of leadership the unit is offering: it is measured by what the men do when the leader is no longer there.
A point of accuracy: twenty-one Param Vir Chakras have been awarded, and by “the last recipient” the book means the most recent. Four PVCs were awarded for the Kargil War of 1999 — to Captain Vikram Batra and Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey (both posthumously), and to Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav and Rifleman Sanjay Kumar — and none has been awarded since.
Q2.
Gallantry awards in India are given to military personnel and others for displaying extraordinary courage in the line of duty. Some of the gallantry awards in India are: Param Vir Chakra: The highest military award in India, awarded for the most conspicuous bravery in the presence of the enemy. Maha Vir Chakra: The second-highest military award in India, awarded for acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy. Vir Chakra: Awarded for acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy. Find out more about gallantry awards.
Answer

India's gallantry awards fall into two parallel ladders, and once you see that, the whole system becomes easy to remember.

RankIn the presence of the enemy (wartime)Away from the battlefield (peacetime)
HighestParam Vir Chakra (PVC)Ashoka Chakra
SecondMaha Vir Chakra (MVC)Kirti Chakra
ThirdVir Chakra (VrC)Shaurya Chakra
  • All six were instituted soon after Independence, with effect from 15 August 1947 for the wartime ladder.
  • The Sena Medal, Nao Sena Medal and Vayu Sena Medal recognise distinguished service and gallantry in the Army, Navy and Air Force respectively.
  • The awards can be given posthumously, and the medal is then presented to the next of kin.
  • Civilians can receive the peacetime awards; the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar honours children, including for acts of bravery.
Why two ladders and not one: courage shown while being fired at and courage shown while entering a burning building are not the same kind of act, and the state did not want to rank them against each other. So the system separates them by situation, not by degree.
For your project: take one award and one recipient, and find the citation — the short official account of what the person did. The chapter reproduces Major Somnath Sharma's citation on page 57. A citation is a primary source, and using one will lift your project above a list of names.
Q3.
The Indian government has been steadfast in its initiatives to boost the representation of women in the Indian Armed Forces. These women have been serving the nation selflessly and with pride. Find out the key roles of women in the Indian Army. Share the information with your classmates and teacher.
Answer

Women have served in the Indian Army for a long time, but the range of roles open to them has widened greatly in the last three decades. Organise your findings as a timeline and a list of arms.

Where women serve today

  • Army Medical Corps, Army Dental Corps and Military Nursing Service — the oldest and longest-standing avenues for women.
  • Corps of Engineers, Corps of Signals, Army Air Defence, Army Ordnance Corps, Army Service Corps, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Intelligence Corps, Judge Advocate General's branch and the Corps of Military Police.
  • Command appointments — women officers now command units in several arms and services.
  • In the sister services: the Indian Air Force has women fighter pilots (from 2016) and the Navy has women officers serving on board warships and flying maritime aircraft.

Landmarks worth putting on your timeline

  • 1992 — women commissioned as officers in selected branches of the Army.
  • 2020 — following a Supreme Court judgment, Permanent Commission was granted to women officers in the Army's non-combat arms and services.
  • 2021 — the National Defence Academy opened to women candidates.
  • Women officers are also part of Indian contingents in United Nations peacekeeping missions.
Why this belongs in a unit called “Values and Dispositions”: the qualities the unit praises in Major Somnath Sharma — judgement, loyalty to one's team, refusal to quit — are not qualities of a gender. Widening who may serve is simply the country acting on what it already believes about courage.
Tip for the presentation: take one officer and tell her story properly rather than listing ten names. Use the official websites of the Indian Army, the Press Information Bureau or the National War Memorial so that every fact you present can be traced to a source.
Q4.
Birsa Munda: A Saga of Courage and Sacrifice. Birsa Munda, a revered tribal freedom fighter, spiritual leader, and folk hero, belonged to the Munda tribe. Celebrated as a valiant warrior and a charismatic figure, he emerged as a powerful symbol of tribal resistance against British colonial rule. Among the people of Jharkhand, he is affectionately known as Dharti Aaba—Father of the Land—and is honoured as a divine figure for his selfless dedication to his people. A commemorative stamp designed by Shri Sankha Samanta captures his powerful presence. It features Birsa Munda addressing his followers, with a determined expression that reflects his unwavering vision of tribal unity, empowerment, and self-governance. This stamp serves as a lasting tribute to his pivotal role in India's freedom struggle and his relentless commitment to protecting tribal rights.
Answer

The passage is here so that you extend the unit's idea of courage beyond the battlefield. Birsa Munda led no army and wore no uniform, yet the words the unit has been teaching — valour, resolute, legacy — fit him exactly.

What to find out and note down

  • Who he was: born in 1875 in the Chhotanagpur region (in present-day Jharkhand); he died in 1900, still in his twenties — younger even than Major Somnath Sharma.
  • What he led: the Ulgulan or “Great Tumult”, a movement of the Munda people against colonial land laws and the dikus (outsiders) who were taking away their traditional rights over land and forest.
  • What he is called: Dharti Aaba, Father of the Land.
  • What followed: the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908, which recognised tribal land rights, is directly connected with the movement he led.
  • How he is remembered: 15 November, his birth anniversary, is observed as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas; the state of Jharkhand was formed on that date in 2000; museums, a university and the commemorative stamp described above carry his name.
How to read the stamp as evidence. The passage tells you the designer chose to show Birsa Munda addressing his followers rather than fighting. That choice makes an argument: it says his power lay in persuading and uniting his people, not in force of arms. When you study any commemorative image, ask what moment it picked — the choice is never accidental.
Note: the “Source:” line is left blank in the book. Fill it in yourself with the source you actually use — the Ministry of Culture, the Department of Posts, or the Jharkhand government website — and cite it in your project. Naming your source is part of doing the work honestly.
Q5.
Make a list of the patriotic songs in any language, including songs from your region. Share the songs with your classmates and teacher.
Answer

Begin with the songs the chapter itself quotes, then add from your own region. The chapter opens with lines from Mera desh, mera desh re and closes with Vande Mataram.

SongLanguageWritten / composed byWorth knowing
Jana Gana ManaBengali (Sanskritised)Rabindranath TagoreThe National Anthem
Vande MataramSanskrit / BengaliBankim Chandra ChattopadhyayThe National Song; quoted on page 59
Sare Jahan Se AchhaUrduMuhammad IqbalSet to a tune by Pandit Ravi Shankar
Ae Mere Watan Ke LogonHindiKavi Pradeep; sung by Lata MangeshkarWritten after the 1962 war, for soldiers who fell
Jhansi Ki RaniHindiSubhadra Kumari ChauhanA poem learnt by heart across generations
Bharato Bhagya Vidhata / regional songsYour own language—Ask an elder at home; write down the words
Sample regional additions: Tamil Thai Valthu (Tamil), Jaya Jaya He Telangana / Ma Telugu Thalliki (Telugu), Bharata Bhushana and Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate (Kannada), Amar Sonar Bangla-style regional anthems (Bengali), Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha (Marathi), Vaishnav Jan To (Gujarati — a bhajan Gandhiji made part of the freedom movement).
Make the list do something. For each song, write one line on when it was written and what it was responding to. Vande Mataram comes out of the 1880s, Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon out of 1962 — and reading the two together tells you more about the country's history than either does alone.
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