Ati Vishisht Seva Medal is a military award of India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 given to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the armed forces.

The award can also be granted posthumously. Subsequent awards are represented by a bar worn on the ribbon. The awardee can use "AVSM" as post-nominal letters.

History

The Ati Vishisht Seva Medal was originally established as the "Vishisht Seva Medal, Class II". It was renamed on January 27, 1967 and the badge redesigned. Since 1980 the awarding of the medal have been restricted to non-operational service as the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal was created to recognize distinguished services in an operational environment.