The Indian Armed Forces name their operations for what they do — civic welfare, maritime security, or disaster relief. Matching the name to the mission is a favourite UPSC trap.
mcqquestion.com · Indian Polity🎖️ Exam Edge
🎖️ Armed Forces Named Operations
The code-named military operations in India’s history.
Op Vijay1961 liberation of Goa; also the 1999 Kargil war
Op Shakti1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests
Op Meghdoot1984 secured the Siachen Glacier
Op Trident1971 naval strike on Karachi
Op Blue Star1984 Operation Blue Star at Amritsar
ExamMatch the code name to the year and operation
💡The trap: The same code name can return — Operation Vijay means both 1961 (Goa) and 1999 (Kargil).
mcqquestion.comUPSC · CDS · NDA · CAPF · SSC
Must Know
Operation Sadbhavana: Civic Welfare in Border Areas
- Launched 1998Operation Sadbhavana (‘Goodwill’) began in Jammu & Kashmir in 1998.
- PurposeIt aims at civic welfare in rural, remote, and border areas affected by terrorism.
- FocusIts focus is education, healthcare, women and youth empowerment, and infrastructure — addressing the basic needs of local populations.
- Why it mattersUPSC tests which Army operation does local-population upliftment.
- SoSadbhavana = Army civic-welfare operation for remote/border locals.
Army Goodwill Schools
- SchoolsThe Army runs several Army Goodwill Schools under this operation.
- Other workIt also runs medical camps, vocational training centres, and road/water infrastructure projects.
- Why it mattersThese concrete projects are testable details of Sadbhavana.
- SoGoodwill Schools and infrastructure are part of Sadbhavana.
Vibrant Villages Link
- The programmeOperation Sadbhavana contributes to the government’s Vibrant Villages Programme for remote border settlements.
- Why it mattersThis connects the operation to a current government scheme.
- MechanismBoth aim to develop remote border villages.
- SoSadbhavana supports the Vibrant Villages Programme.
Good to Know
Operation Sankalp
- Launched 2019Operation Sankalp was launched by the Indian Navy in June 2019.
- PurposeIt is a maritime security operation ensuring safe passage of Indian-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
- ContextIt came amid regional tensions in the Gulf.
- SoSankalp = Navy maritime-security operation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Operation Maitri
- Launched 2015Operation Maitri (‘Friendship’) was launched by the Indian Armed Forces in April 2015.
- PurposeIt was the rescue and relief operation following Nepal’s devastating earthquake.
- ScaleThe IAF alone rescued over 11,000 people.
- SoMaitri = disaster relief for the 2015 Nepal earthquake.
Operation Madad
- Recurring name‘Madad’ (help) is the Indian Navy’s recurring name for domestic disaster-relief operations.
- ExamplesIt was used for the 2004 tsunami response and the 2018 Kerala floods.
- ScaleOver 16,800 people were rescued in the Kerala floods.
- SoMadad = Navy’s recurring name for domestic disaster relief.
✅ Test Yourself
Work through a 5-question chain on Armed Forces Named Operations, then keep practising with a random Indian Polity question.
Great to Know
Different Mandates
- Distinct scopesEach operation has a distinct scope: Sadbhavana is ongoing civic welfare, Sankalp is maritime security, and Maitri/Madad are disaster-response operations.
- Why it mattersUPSC tests whether you can match the name to the right activity.
- SoDo not treat these as interchangeable names for the same thing.
- Ongoing vs one-timeSadbhavana is ongoing; Maitri and Madad are one-time or recurring disaster responses.
- So whatMatching scope to name is exactly how UPSC frames these questions.
Exam Angle
- Trap optionOperation Sadbhavana is a disaster-relief operation is wrong — it is civic welfare.
- DistractorSankalp is a disaster response is false — it is maritime security.
- Fact testedMaitri = Nepal earthquake relief (2015); Madad = recurring domestic disaster relief.
- EliminateMatch each operation name to its mandate.
- TryAttempt the linked MCQs on named operations.
- SoApply this elimination test to each option, because the trap usually hides in who is bound by the rule, not in the surface wording.
PYQ / Exam Angle
CAPF 2018: AFSPA in the States
- QuestionCAPF asked from which State the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act was completely removed. Correct answer: Arunachal Pradesh.
- WhyAFSPA gives special powers to armed forces in disturbed areas; tracking where it is withdrawn is a live exam angle.
- LinkSource: CAPF AC 2018 (see Q96).
Current Affairs / So What
Why It Matters Today
- DevelopmentNamed operations feature in current-affairs and defence-related questions.
- Why it mattersRecent disaster-relief and border-development work keeps these operations relevant.
- So whatExpect questions linking recent operations to their established mandates.
Beyond the answer
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