Instituted to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of India's independence, 15 August 1997.

For police recipients, these medals have not normally been officially manufactured and issued, but were, instead, made locally by independent manufacturers and the policemen can either buy them from these shops or the battalions buy it and give it to the qualifying constables. This gives rise to great variability in manufacture and even in design details. In fact, it appears that some enterprising manufacturers have unofficially imagined designs (and the medal depicted may be one of these?).

Established: 1997.

Obverse: Circular 35 mm copper-nickel, the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi with the legend above "50th INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY" and below "1947-1997". Suspended by a non-swiveling straight bar suspender. Official issues are named on the edge (?). (Or is this the reverse?)

Reverse: A pebbled map of India with the legend above "50 vi Swatantrata Varshganth" or "50th Anniversary of Independence" and, below "1947-1997". (Or is this the obverse?)

Ribbon: 32 mm, yellow with central 3-mm stripes of orange, white, and green.