Historic Military Operations of India
The Indian Armed Forces have conducted decisive operations for territorial integration, counter-insurgency, and international peacekeeping. In September 1948, Operation Polo successfully integrated the princely state of Hyderabad into the Indian Union. In December 1961, Operation Vijay liberated Goa, Daman, and Diu from 451 years of Portuguese colonial rule. On 13 April 1984, the Indian Army launched Operation Meghdoot, pre-emptively securing the Siachen Glacier in Ladakh, establishing the world's highest operational battlefield on the Saltoro Ridge. In November 1988, Operation Cactus deployed Indian paratroopers and naval vessels to thwart a mercenary coup against President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in the Maldives. In 1999, Operation Vijay (Army) and Operation Safed Sagar (Air Force) successfully recaptured encroached heights in the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
Key Concepts & Examination Highlights
- Operation Polo (September 1948) was the military police action that integrated the princely state of Hyderabad into India.
- Operation Vijay (December 1961) integrated Goa, Daman, and Diu into the Indian Union, ending Portuguese colonial administration.
- Operation Meghdoot (13 April 1984) secured Indian control over the entire Siachen Glacier and Saltoro Ridge in northern Ladakh.
- Operation Cactus (November 1988) was India's airborne intervention in the Maldives to defeat a mercenary-led coup attempt.
- Operation Vijay and Operation Safed Sagar in May–July 1999 evicted Pakistani intrusions during the Kargil War.