Content

1. Kargil Vijay Diwas 2025: Honouring 26 Years of Valour and Victory
2. Power to the People: The Boom and Transformation of Cooperatives in India

Kargil Vijay Diwas 2025: Honouring 26 Years of Valour and Victory

Date Observed: 26 July 2025
Commemoration of: Victory in the 1999 Kargil War
Conflict Duration: May–July 1999
Location: Kargil Sector, Jammu & Kashmir (now Ladakh UT)
Codename: Operation Vijay

Relevance : GS 3(Internal Security , Defence)

Background of the Kargil Conflict (1999)

• Nature of Intrusion:
  • Pakistani regular soldiers, disguised as insurgents, infiltrated Indian territory across the Line of Control (LoC).
  • Occupied strategic peaks in Dras, Batalik, Kaksar, and Mushkoh sectors.
  • Aimed to sever NH-1A, cutting off Leh from Srinagar.
• Breach of Peace Accord:
  • The infiltration violated the Lahore Declaration (Feb 1999), a bilateral peace initiative.
• Indian Military Response:
  • Launched Operation Vijay on 8 May 1999.
  • IAF involvement: Operation Safed Sagar—first major high-altitude air combat.
  • No LoC transgression by Indian forces despite provocations—upheld international law.

Nature of the Kargil War

• Terrain and Conditions:
  • Battles fought at 16,000–18,000 ft elevation, with temperatures below freezing.
  • Challenges included rarefied oxygen, narrow supply lines, and vertical cliff assaults.
• Duration: ~60 days of intense combat (May–July 1999).
• Casualties:
  • Indian Side: 545 soldiers martyred, over 1,100 injured.
  • Pakistan Side: Estimated 700+ casualties (exact figures remain classified).

Iconic Battles and Sectors

Heroes of the Kargil War

• Param Vir Chakra (PVC) Recipients (4)
  • Capt. Vikram Batra (Posthumous)
  • Capt. Manoj Kumar Pandey (Posthumous)
  • Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav
  • Rifleman Sanjay Kumar
• Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) Recipients (9)
  • Capt. Anuj Nayyar (Posthumous), Maj. Rajesh Adhikari (Posthumous), Lt. Keishing Clifford Nongrum (Posthumous), Maj. Vivek Gupta (Posthumous), among others.
• Unique Valor Acts:
  • Capt. Batra: “Yeh Dil Maange More” became a national slogan of bravery.
  • Grenadier Yadav: Scaled icy cliffs despite bullet wounds.
  • Capt. Thapar: Left an inspiring farewell letter to family before martyrdom.

Legacy and Memorialisation

• Kargil War Memorial: Built at Dras in Ladakh; bears names of all fallen soldiers.
• Naming of Peaks:
  • Tiger Hill, Tololing, and Gun Hill stand as symbols of Indian resolve.
  • Gun Hill officially renamed in 2023 to honour artillery’s role.

26th Anniversary Initiatives (2025)

1. Commemorative Expeditions

• Tololing Peak Climb (11 June 2025):
  • Joint Army-Air Force team of 30 soldiers.
  • Tribute to historic battle route and fallen comrades.
• Gun Hill Expedition (7 July 2025):
  • 87 soldiers, including artillerymen and veterans.
  • Reinforces memory of Point 5140 victory.
• Mountain Terrain Bicycle Expedition (25 June–12 July 2025):
  • 680 km route from Siachen Base Camp to Dras via Khardung La.
  • Outreach to 1,100 students across Ladakh.
  • NCC interaction to inspire youth.

2. Nationwide Outreach Drive

• Started: 1 June 2025
• Coverage: Families of 545 martyrs across 25 states, 2 UTs, Nepal.
• Purpose:
  • Honour and support war families.
  • Share personal memorabilia for national archive.
  • Culmination: 26 July 2025, Dras Commemoration Ceremony.

Strategic Impact and Defence Transformation

• Post-Kargil Military Reforms:
  • Creation of Kargil Review Committee → Intelligence coordination overhaul.
  • Formation of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in 2020.
  • Enhanced surveillance, mountain warfare readiness, and artillery modernisation.
• Doctrinal Shift:
  • From defensive postures to proactive, calibrated responses.
  • Examples:
    • Surgical Strikes (2016)
    • Balakot Air Strikes (2019)
    • Operation SINDOOR (2025) – retaliation for Pahalgam terror attack:
      • Targeted 9 terrorist camps in PoJK.
      • Eliminated 100+ terrorists incl. Pulwama & IC-814 suspects.
      • Used loitering munitions, net-centric warfare, and counter-drone tech.

Broader National Significance

• Patriotism Reinvigorated:
  • Kargil War redefined public perception of the soldier.
  • Rekindled civilian-military emotional bond.
• Message to Adversaries:
  • India will respond with restraint, resolve, and precision.
  • Commitment to uphold territorial integrity without international overreach.
• Civil-Military Synergy:
  • Youth engagement through NCC, veterans’ inclusion in expeditions, and family outreach deepen national-military connect.

Conclusion

• Kargil Vijay Diwas 2025 is not just a tribute to the past but a torch for the future.
• It reminds India of the cost of freedom, the strength of unity, and the resilience of its armed forces.
• As the tricolour flutters over Dras once again, it symbolises a nation unbowed, united, and unafraid.

Power to the People: The Boom and Transformation of Cooperatives in India

Theme: Inclusive growth through cooperative empowerment
Context: New National Cooperative Policy & IYC 2025

Relevance : GS 3(Co-Operative Societies , Economy), GS 2(Governance)

Strategic Overview

• India has 8.44 lakh+ cooperative societies across 30 sectors: agriculture, housing, credit, dairy, fisheries, etc.
• Cooperatives are becoming multi-functional rural service hubs — offering credit, education, insurance, healthcare, and digital access.
• The cooperative sector is now a pillar of inclusive rural growth, livelihood generation, and local governance.
• India’s approach aligns with the UN-declared International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025 — an opportunity to globalize Indian models.

Policy Framework and Institutional Push

Creation of Ministry of Cooperation (2021)

• First dedicated ministry to oversee cooperative reforms.
• In 4 years, 61 structured initiatives launched.

New National Cooperative Policy (Launched: July 24, 2025)

• Vision: “Sahkar se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation).
• Goals (2025–2045):
  • Inclusive & professional cooperatives.
  • Large-scale rural employment & livelihoods.
  • Global leadership in cooperative innovation.
  • Enable “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.

Digital Transformation

PACS Computerisation & ERP Integration

• 73,492 PACS sanctioned for computerisation.
• 59,920 PACS onboarded onto Unified ERP platform (as of July 22, 2025).
• Benefits:
  • Real-time monitoring.
  • Fraud detection & transparency.
  • Resilience against natural disasters (e.g., Arakandanallur PACCS – Tamil Nadu).

Case Study: Kharsai Society (Maharashtra)

• Shifted from paper-based to digital ERP.
• Results: Enhanced speed, accuracy, transparency, and member satisfaction.

Cooperative Expansion: Quantity + Quality

23,173 New Multipurpose PACS Registered (as of July 22, 2025)

• Offer: Fertiliser, grain storage, petrol pumps, LPG, Jan Aushadhi Kendras, CSCs.

Unified Multi-Service Model

• Vision: “One cooperative per village”.
• Digital + physical service delivery convergence.

Innovative Cooperative Models

Green Energy: Dhondi Solar Energy Producer Cooperative (Gujarat)

• First solar cooperative: 9 out of 12 farmers irrigate via solar panels.
• ₹8 lakh earned by selling surplus energy to grid.

Children’s Cooperative: Bal Gopal Society (Gujarat)

• India’s only cooperative for children aged 0–18.
• ₹17.47 crore saved by 19,020 members from 335 villages.
• Unique model: Baal Bachat Sanskar.
• Guardians eligible for loans against child savings.

Market Access and Global Outreach

Government e-Marketplace (GeM) Onboarding

• 667 cooperatives registered as buyers (as of Mar 2025).
• 2,986 transactions worth ₹319.02 crore completed.

Exports: National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL)

• 8,863 cooperatives onboarded.
• Exported 13.08 LMT agricultural commodities to 27 countries.
• Value: ₹5,239.5 crore.

Specialised Multi-State Cooperatives (Formed in 2023)

Model Societies: Grassroots to Greatness

Borkheda Gram Seva Sahakari Samiti (Rajasthan)

• Founded in 1954 with ₹30.
• Now: 8,299 members, ₹107.54 lakh share capital.
• Offers: Mini Bank, e-Mitra Plus, Aadhaar services, insurance.
• 70% members from marginalized communities.

Madhusudankati SKUS (West Bengal)

• Offers credit, SHG loans, fertiliser, procurement, health camps, play areas.
• Runs agricultural service centres & KCC facilitation.

Murakata SKUS (West Bengal)

• Grown from 45 to 1,603 members.
• Provides banking, credit, hiring services.
• Enabled shift from single-crop to year-round farming.

Gold MPCS (Poonch, J&K)

• Offers loans, insurance, CSC & PM Surya Ghar services.
• Transactions (FY24–25): ₹9.16 lakh.

Atholi Cooperative (Kishtwar, J&K)

• Jan Aushadhi, CSC services, Anganwadi supplies.
• FY25 turnover: ₹18.66 lakh.

Impact Summary

Global Positioning in IYC 2025

• National Action Plan launched to:
  • Showcase successful models (e.g., AMUL, IFFCO).
  • Promote cross-country learning, cooperative startups.
  • Make India a global hub for cooperative innovation.

Top Performing Cooperatives in India

Conclusion

• India’s cooperative movement is no longer archaic—it’s aspirational.
• From analog societies to digital multi-service hubs, cooperatives are:
  • Empowering every demographic, from children to farmers.
  • Bridging rural-urban gaps through digital and service outreach.
  • Positioning India as a thought leader in people-centric economic models.

“What began as a grassroots necessity has matured into a governance innovation.”
Cooperatives today are not just economic units—they are beacons of inclusive development.