Neerja Bhanot Honoured with Posthumous Ashok Chakra – India’s Youngest Female Recipient

The Government of India posthumously awarded Neerja Bhanot the Ashok Chakra, the nation’s highest peacetime gallantry medal. At the time of the award, she was the youngest woman ever to receive this decoration. The honor recognised her extraordinary bravery that saved 360 lives during the Pan Am Flight 73 hijack.

In addition to the Ashok Chakra, Pakistan conferred the Tamgha‑e‑Insaniyat on her, acknowledging her humanitarian courage. The United States also presented her with a bravery award in 2005. Her story was commemorated on an Indian postage stamp in 2004, and a biographical film starring Sonam Kapoor released in 2016, further cementing her legacy as the “Heroine of Hijack.”