Operations undertaken by the Army towards upliftment of the local population in remote areas to include addressing of their basic needs is called:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Operation Sadbhavana
Operation Sadbhavana is the Indian Army's Military Civic Action programme for 'winning hearts and minds' in remote border areas. It runs projects in healthcare, education, women empowerment and similar fields, so it fits the description of uplifting local people and meeting their basic needs.
- ✓ (c) The Ministry of Defence names Operation Sadbhavana, along with Operation Samaritan, as the Army's vehicle for Military Civic Action among people in remote border areas. Its projects cover healthcare, human resource development, women empowerment, environment protection, education, sports and national integration.
- ✗ (a) Operation Sankalp is the Indian Navy's maritime security operation, not an Army programme. PIB describes it as ongoing maritime security operations, for example the response to the hijacking of MV Ruen in December 2023.
- ✗ (b) Operation Maitri was India's response to the April 2015 Nepal earthquake, using IAF aircraft, an Army engineer task force, NDRF teams and MEA diplomacy. It is relief work, not a long-term civic-action programme.
- ✗ (d) Operation Madad was the Southern Naval Command's 2018 Kerala flood rescue and relief effort, ended on 24 August 2018. It was a Navy disaster-relief operation, not the Army's civic-action programme.
Remember · Operation Sadbhavana is the Army's civic-action programme to win hearts and minds in remote border areas, alongside Operation Samaritan.
Sources
- Ministry of Defence, Annual Report 2024-25, Military Civic Action Programme ↗ “The IA continued with its endeavours in ‘Winning Hearts and Minds’ of people settled in remote border areas by undertaking large number of Military Civic Action projects under Operation SADBHAVANA and Operation SAMARITAN. … include a wide range of activities in the fields of healthcare, HR development, women empowerment, environment protection, education, sports and national integration”
- PIB (Ministry of Defence): Indian Navy's ongoing maritime security operations (Op Sankalp), 23 March 2024 ↗ “Indian Navy has responded to the manifestation of Israel – Hamas conflict in the maritime domain by re-orienting and significantly enhancing the scope of its ongoing maritime security operations since mid-Dec 23.”
- PIB (Ministry of Defence): SNC terminates Op Madad, 24 August 2018 ↗ “The Southern Naval Command terminated #Operation Madad on 24 Aug 18 on successful completion of rescue and relief operations.”
- PIB: Indian Armed Forces in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (Operation Maitri) ↗ “Operation Maitri was India’s rapid response to the April 2015 Nepal earthquake; it involved coordinated deployment of IAF aircraft, Army engineer’s task force, NDRF teams and MEA diplomacy.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·