Which of the following is not a gallantry medal awarded for bravery in India?

Introduction / Context:
India has several military decorations for acts of bravery and gallantry, both in war and in peace time, along with separate civilian and sports related awards. This question tests whether you can clearly distinguish between gallantry medals and other types of honours. You must identify which option is not a gallantry medal awarded for bravery.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The options list well known Indian awards and decorations. - Some are dedicated gallantry medals for the armed forces or paramilitary personnel. - One is a sports honour not connected with gallantry. - The task is to pick the award that does not belong to the category of gallantry medals. - We assume official lists of Indian military and civilian awards as reference.

Concept / Approach:
Gallantry medals in India include Param Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Shaurya Chakra and Kirti Chakra among others. They are conferred for acts of exceptional bravery either in the face of the enemy or in situations not involving direct combat. In contrast, the Arjuna Award is a sports award given to athletes for consistent outstanding performance. The correct approach is to identify Arjuna Award as unrelated to gallantry and select it as the answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military decoration for wartime bravery, clearly a gallantry medal. Step 2: Ashok Chakra is India's highest peacetime gallantry award, again firmly in the gallantry category. Step 3: Shaurya Chakra is a gallantry award given for valour, courageous action or self sacrifice away from the battlefield but still involving great risk. Step 4: Kirti Chakra is another high level decoration for courage and gallant actions, especially in peacetime. Step 5: Arjuna Award, on the other hand, is a sports award presented to athletes for outstanding performance over time and has nothing to do with acts of military or civil gallantry. Step 6: Therefore, Arjuna Award is the only option that is not a gallantry medal.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify by recalling the categories in which these awards are usually discussed. Param Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra appear in lists of gallantry medals and are often tied to stories of military or police bravery. The Arjuna Award appears exclusively in sports related chapters and is also grouped with honours like the Khel Ratna and Dronacharya Award. Since Arjuna Award belongs to a completely different group, this confirms it as the odd one out.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (Ashok Chakra) is wrong as the answer because it is a gallantry award given for peacetime bravery of the highest order. Option C (Param Vir Chakra) is wrong because it is the highest wartime military decoration in India. Option D (Shaurya Chakra) is wrong because it is a clearly defined gallantry medal for boldness and courage beyond the call of duty. Option E (Kirti Chakra) is wrong because it is another recognised gallantry award, ranking just below Ashok Chakra.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes confuse sports awards with military honours because both categories appear under headings like national awards. Another common mistake is to think that any award with a heroic sounding name, such as Arjuna, must be related to bravery. In reality, the Arjuna Award is purely for sporting excellence. To avoid such confusion, it helps to classify awards into groups in your notes, such as gallantry, civilian honours, sports and cultural awards.

Final Answer:
The award that is not a gallantry medal is the Arjuna Award.