Educational Galaxy

A Homage to Our Brave Soldiers — EG's own notes, in simple words

Book: Poorvi (CBSE, Class 7)  |  Chapter 13  |  Unit 5: Bravehearts  |  Medium: English

Diagram (labels are printed on the image): Soldiers guarding a mountain border. A general picture of tribute to soldiers, not a scene from the book.

Laying flowers at a memorial. A general picture of honouring brave soldiers.

What the lesson is about

This lesson is told through letters between two friends. Soumya, writing from Jayanagar, Bengaluru, on 14 April, tells her friend Ananda about an educational trip to New Delhi organised by her school — and, above all, about her visit to the National War Memorial, which has left a deep impact on her.

Soumya had wondered, after a conversation about war and peace: India struggled for centuries for Independence from the British, and after Independence it had to fight several wars to protect its borders, territorial integrity, and people. Who were the brave Indians who fought and sacrificed their lives so that others could live in peace? What were their names, and where did they come from? The memorial gave her some answers.

The National War Memorial consists of four concentric circles — Amar Chakra, Veerta Chakra, Tyag Chakra, and Raksha Chakra — around a 15-metre-tall central obelisk with the eternal flame, the Amar Jawan Jyoti. The innermost circle, Amar Chakra, is the Circle of Immortality. The memorial also houses bronze and stone murals and graphic panels. More than 26,000 names of fallen soldiers are etched there, for those who made the supreme sacrifice in wars from 1947 till date, including the Indo-China conflict of 1962, the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971, and the Kargil War of 1999. Another installation, the Amar Jawan Jyoti, is an immortal flame kept ablaze day and night to revere soldiers' sacrifices.

Soumya's teacher also tells the class about gallantry awards. The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest wartime gallantry medal, awarded to 21 bravehearts. Major Somnath Sharma was posthumously awarded India's first PVC in the Battle of Badgam in 1947. Other medals are the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), Kirti Chakra (KC), Vir Chakra (VrC), and Shaurya Chakra (SC). In the 1971 war, PVCs awarded posthumously included Lance Naik Albert Ekka, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, and Major Hoshiar Singh, while Navy personnel including Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla were awarded the MVC for exemplary courage and leadership.

Lance Naik Albert Ekka's story is told in detail: in the 14 Guards, in the left forward company of a battalion of the Brigade of Guards, he attacked the enemy defence at Gangasagar on the eastern front — a well-fortified position held in strength. Under intense shelling and heavy small-arms fire, the troops charged on and were locked in bitter hand-to-hand combat, and Ekka showed selflessness, determination, and exceptional courage. Ananda replies from Chandigarh on 24 April, praising Soumya's eye for detail and her sensitive capture of the memorial's emotions, and reflecting that a war memorial is not just a monument or statue, but an edifice that commemorates those who lost their lives or were injured. The lesson's message is the title itself: paying homage — public respect — to brave soldiers is the duty of every citizen who enjoys the freedom they guarded.

Story / lesson in order

1. Soumya and Ananda discuss war, peace, and India's freedom struggle.
2. Soumya visits the National War Memorial in New Delhi on a school trip.
3. She learns its design: four chakras around a 15-metre obelisk and the Amar Jawan Jyoti.
4. She reads more than 26,000 etched names, from wars spanning 1947 to Kargil 1999.
5. Her teacher explains gallantry medals, from the PVC to the Shaurya Chakra.
6. She studies Albert Ekka's courage at Gangasagar in the 1971 war.
7. Ananda replies from Chandigarh, praising her letter and reflecting on what a memorial means.

Chart / Table: The memorial and its medals

Item	What it means
Amar Chakra	Innermost circle — the Circle of Immortality
Veerta, Tyag, Raksha Chakras	The other three concentric circles of the memorial
Amar Jawan Jyoti	The eternal, immortal flame kept ablaze day and night
Param Vir Chakra (PVC)	India's highest wartime gallantry medal; 21 recipients; first: Major Somnath Sharma, Badgam 1947
Other medals	Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), Kirti Chakra (KC), Vir Chakra (VrC), Shaurya Chakra (SC)

NCERT language points — Let us learn

• Prefixes I: study disregard (dis- + regard), inconsequential (in- + consequence), immortal (im- + mortal), undaunted (un- + daunt). Then match prefixes re-, mal-, un-, anti-, extra-, ex-, de- to meanings like badly or wrongly, beyond or outside, opposed to, former, lacking or not, remove, and do again, and build new words.
• Prefixes II: complete a paragraph about soldiers' training with the new words — extraordinary training, and words for explosives, equipment, elements, bravery, former members, and commitment.
• Brave word family: fill missing vowels to find words for 'brave' — valiant, courage, valour, gallant, heroic, brave, fearless, bold, daring, undaunted.
• Opposites of brave: fill blanks with the correct opposite words of 'brave' from the book's box, for example for a refusal to stand up for a friend or a child too scared to meet a teacher.
• Feelings in the text: find paragraphs and sentences that evoke wonder, heartening, motivation, pride, visual inspiration, sadness, gratitude, and inspiration — and explain what in the wording creates each feeling.

NCERT activities — listen, speak, write, explore

• Let us listen: a girl speaks about why she wishes to join the Armed Forces when she grows up. Answer in two to three exact words you hear: what kind of job she thinks it is, what fills her with pride, how disciplined life affects body and mind, and what Armed Forces life teaches.
• Let us speak: identify professions in the book's picture, then take turns saying which profession you dream of, why, and what preparation it needs.
• Let us write: write a letter to a friend about how the Armed Forces help in peace time — natural calamities, infrastructure in remote areas, and welfare work like medical camps and libraries.
• Let us explore: learn the mottos — Indian Army: Seva Paramo Dharmah (Service Before Self); Indian Air Force: Nabhah Sprsam Diptam (Touch the Sky with Glory); Indian Navy: Sham No Varunah (Be Auspicious Unto Us Oh Varuna) — and find out about other forces like the CRPF.
• Let us explore: in groups, make a collage on a chart paper about an inspiring person, and present childhood, training, achievements, and what you learnt.

Practice set — try it yourself

1. Who writes the first letter, and from where?
   Hint: Think about Bengaluru and a school trip to Delhi.
2. Name the four chakras of the National War Memorial.
   Hint: Think about Amar, Veerta, Tyag, and Raksha.
3. How many names are etched at the memorial, roughly?
   Hint: Think about more than 26,000.
4. Who received India's first Param Vir Chakra, and when?
   Hint: Think about Badgam and 1947.
5. What does 'homage' mean?
   Hint: Think about public respect.

Questions with Answers

1. What is the significance of the National War Memorial?
   It gives names, faces, and honour to soldiers who would otherwise be forgotten: four chakras, an eternal flame, murals, and more than 26,000 etched names turn private sacrifice into public memory, so citizens can visit, learn, and pay homage.
2. How is Lance Naik Albert Ekka an example of selflessness, determination, and exceptional courage?
   At Gangasagar in 1971, in the 14 Guards' left forward company, he charged a well-fortified enemy position under intense shelling and heavy fire, fought hand to hand, and put the mission and his comrades before his own safety — courage the nation honoured with the Param Vir Chakra, posthumously.
3. How will the National War Memorial and Museum app help spread awareness about war heroes?
   It carries the memorial beyond Delhi: students anywhere can read heroes' stories, names, and sacrifices on a phone, share them, and visit with knowledge — so homage becomes learning, not only a visit.
4. Why is it our duty to pay homage to our brave soldiers?
   Because our peace, borders, and daily freedom rest on their sacrifice. Homage — visiting, remembering, telling their stories — is how a nation repays a debt it cannot repay in any other way.
5. What is the main idea, and how does it justify the title?
   The main idea is gratitude made public: two friends' letters show how one visit turns abstract 'soldiers' into named, honoured individuals. 'A Homage to Our Brave Soldiers' is therefore exact — the lesson itself is an act of homage.

Questions with Answers — Extension (NCERT exercise types)

1. (True / False) The National War Memorial has three concentric circles. — False. It has four: Amar, Veerta, Tyag, and Raksha.
2. (Fill in the blank) The central obelisk is _______ metres tall. — Fifteen.
3. (Extract-based) The innermost circle, Amar Chakra, is known as the _______. — Circle of Immortality.
4. (Matching) Match: PVC — highest wartime gallantry medal; MVC — Maha Vir Chakra; KC — Kirti Chakra; VrC — Vir Chakra; SC — Shaurya Chakra.
5. (Analogy) Somnath Sharma : 1947 :: Albert Ekka : _______. — 1971 (Gangasagar).
6. (Order) Put in order: (a) Ananda replies from Chandigarh (b) Soumya visits the memorial (c) Teacher explains medals (d) Soumya wonders who the brave soldiers were. — (d), (b), (c), (a).
7. (Prefixes) Split: disregard, inconsequential, immortal, undaunted. — Dis- + regard, in- + consequence, im- + mortal, un- + daunt.
8. (Vocabulary) What does 'posthumously' mean? — After death.
9. (Reason) Why were Soumya's classmates awestruck and humbled? — Because etched names, flames, and stories turned numbers into real people who died so others could live in peace.
10. (Summary — choose the correct word) A memorial is for (forgetting / remembering) sacrifice. — Remembering, publicly.

How to use this page: Read the summary, say the Key Terms in your own words, then try the practice set without looking. Use the Questions with Answers to check yourself afterwards. Ask your teacher or parent to check your answers.