Operation Vijay and Vijay Divas

Subject: History

Context:

Every year July 26 is celebrated as Kargil Vijay Diwas to mark the successful completion of “Operation Vijay”

Concept:

• India and Pakistan fought the Kargil War between May and July of 1999 in Kargil district under the temperature of minus 10 degree Celsius.
• The conflict began after Indian forces detected infiltrations by Pakistani troops and terrorists into Indian territory.
• The Pakistani side had a strategic advantage during the start of the conflict as they positioned themselves in key locations and could fire at advancing Indian troops.
• The Indian Army was able to ascertain the points of incursion based on information from local shepherds and launched Operation Vijay.
• Safed Sagar, the Indian Air Force’s operation, was a major part of the Kargil war. It used air power at the height of 32,000 feet for the first time. From identifying the Pakistani troops and Mujahideens to interdiction, all the actions were performed well by the pilots and engineers.
• As the fight came to an end on July 26, 1999, when Indian troops established victory by recapturing all the Indian posts that had been occupied by Pakistani infiltrators.

After Kargil war

• After the Kargil War, India increased its defence spending in the budget.
• The complete overhaul of India’s intelligence set-up and the creation of a younger and fitter army are among the most significant changes made by the government on the basis of recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee (KRC).
• The creation of the post of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was also among them.
• The creation of the Defence Intelligence Agency in 2002 and the technical intelligence gathering agency, National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) in 2004, were some of the report’s key outcomes.