4.7 Going Deeper (Exam Prep)

Real-world connections

Major Sharma’s story is part of how a nation remembers its protectors. India honours its soldiers through the National War Memorial in New Delhi, where his name is etched on the Honour Wall, and through awards like the Param Vir Chakra. But “duty above self” is not only for the battlefield: a doctor who stays through an emergency, a firefighter who enters a burning building, a student who keeps a promise to a team — all show the same spirit on a smaller scale.

Quick revision card

Quick Revision Card

  • Who: Major Somnath Sharma (born 31 Jan 1923), 4th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment.
  • Award: first-ever Param Vir Chakra, awarded posthumously.
  • Battle: Badgam, near Srinagar airport, 3 November 1947.
  • Odds: about 90 men vs about 500 invaders (~7 to 1); arm in plaster.
  • Actions: spotted the feint, called air strikes, laid ground panels, supplied gunners.
  • Famous words: “I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to the last man and the last round.”
  • Outcome: killed by a mortar shell at 24; his stand helped save Srinagar.
  • Theme: selfless courage and devotion to duty.

Exam Corner

Objective / one-mark questions

  1. Which award did Major Somnath Sharma receive, and what was special about it?
  2. When and where was the Battle of Badgam fought?
  3. How many men did Major Sharma command, and how many invaders did they face?
  4. How did Major Sharma die?
  1. The Param Vir Chakra — he was its first recipient, awarded posthumously. 2. At Badgam, near the Srinagar airport, on 3 November 1947. 3. About 90 men against around 500 invaders. 4. He was killed by a mortar shell while helping load a machine gun.

Short-answer questions (2–3 marks)

  1. Why was it important to defend Badgam?
  2. What did Major Sharma do during the battle to resist the enemy?
  3. Why did he refuse to withdraw when asked to pull back?
  1. Badgam lay on higher ground less than 5 km from the Srinagar airport, India’s lifeline for troops and supplies; losing it would endanger the airport and the valley.
  2. He spotted the first attack as a feint, requested air strikes and laid ground panels to guide aircraft, distributed ammunition to his gunners, and constantly encouraged his men to hold their ground.
  3. His sense of duty was absolute; he knew withdrawing would open the way to the airport, so he chose to fight “to the last man and the last round” to buy time for reinforcements.

Long-answer questions (5–6 marks)

  1. “Major Somnath Sharma was a leader as much as a fighter.” Discuss with reference to the text.
  2. How does the chapter show that bravery is shaped by upbringing and values, not chance?
  1. Beyond personal courage, he made sound decisions under pressure — reading the feint, calling air strikes, organising ammunition — and kept his men’s morale high so they fought on for hours after his death. Leadership multiplied his bravery into a victory for the nation.
  2. His family’s military tradition, his grandfather’s Mahabharata tales, his education and rigorous training at Sandhurst, and his earlier service in World War II all prepared him. The chapter shows courage as something cultivated through values and discipline.

HOTS (Higher-Order Thinking)

  1. Major Sharma insisted on fighting despite his injured arm. Was this brave or reckless? Defend your view.

It was brave rather than reckless. Recklessness ignores the situation; Major Sharma acted with clear purpose — he knew his men, judged the battle accurately, and understood that holding Badgam was vital. He weighed the stakes and chose duty over personal safety, which is the very definition of courage.

Assertion–Reason

  1. Assertion (A): Major Sharma’s stand at Badgam was militarily important. Reason (R): It delayed the enemy long enough for Indian reinforcements to reach Srinagar.

Choose: (a) Both A and R true and R explains A; (b) Both true but R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.

(a) Both statements are true, and R correctly explains why his stand was important.

A pinch of history

Did You Know? The Param Vir Chakra was instituted in 1950. Its very first award went to Major Somnath Sharma for Badgam. The medal’s design carries four replicas of Indra’s Vajra (thunderbolt), symbolising supreme sacrifice — a fitting emblem for the courage this chapter celebrates.