
Defence ministry announces essay competition themed on Operation Sindoor
The
Ministry of Defence
on Sunday announced an essay competition themed on
Operation Sindoor
that will run from June 1-30.
The ministry, in a post on X, said the top three winners will receive a cash reward of Rs 10,000 each and get an exclusive chance to attend the 78th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort in Delhi.
Operation Sindoor was launched early May 7 to destroy nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22
Pahalgam terror attack
in which 26 people lost their lives.
All subsequent retaliations to Pakistani offensives were carried out under this operation.
The Narendra Modi-led government has since asserted that India has drawn a "new red line" against terrorism and that Operation Sindoor has set a "new normal" in India's response to terrorism, including cross-border terrorism.
Live Events
"Ministry of Defence invites young minds to make their voices heard! Participate in the MoD & @mygovindia bilingual essay contest on #OperationSindoor - Redefining India's Policy Against #Terrorism," the minister posted on X.
"Competition Dates: June 1-30, 2025. One entry per person | In Hindi or English," it said, and also shared a poster carrying details about the contest and the logo of Operation Sindoor.
Economic Times WhatsApp channel
)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Print
28 minutes ago
- The Print
India, Central Asian nations resolve to jointly tackle challenge of terrorism
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired the conclave that was attended by his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The challenge of how to combat terrorism figured prominently at the fourth edition of the India-Central Asia Dialogue hosted by New Delhi, with a focus on expanding the overall trajectory of cooperation between the two sides in several key areas. New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) Five Central Asian states on Friday joined India in strongly condemning the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and demanded that the perpetrators, financiers and sponsors of terrorist acts be held accountable and punished. The foreign ministers of the Central Asian nations reaffirmed their support also for a permanent membership of India in an expanded UN Security Council. A joint statement unveiled at the end of the deliberations said the ministers 'unequivocally condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam' and resolved to fight against terrorism in all its forms. They reiterated that using terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism, terror financing, dissemination of a radical ideology and abuse of cyberspace to spread disinformation goes against the basic principles of humanity and international relations, it said. 'They stressed that perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice,' the statement said. 'In this context, they called for early adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. They stressed the need to strengthen UN-led global counter-terrorism cooperation and fully implement the relevant UNSC resolutions, global counter-terrorism strategy and FATF standards,' it said. The ministers also called for a 'peaceful and stable' Afghanistan, free from terrorism, war and drugs. 'They stressed the need to stand by the people of Afghanistan.' 'The ministers agreed to continue close coordination and consultations on matters related to Afghanistan,' the statement noted. The conclave also extensively deliberated on boosting connectivity in the region. India welcomed the interest of Central Asian countries to utilise the services of the Shahid Beheshti terminal at the Chabahar Port for facilitating their trade with India and beyond. The Shahid Beheshti terminal at the port is being operated by India. 'The sides agreed to continue engagement for further developing the transit and transport potential of their countries, through simplification and streamlining of goods transit procedures,' the joint statement added. The ministers also emphasised optimum usage of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to enhance connectivity between India and the Central Asian countries. The INSTC is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode transport project for moving freight among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. India has been supporting the project. 'They stressed that connectivity initiatives should be based on the principles of transparency, broad participation, local priorities, financial sustainability, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries,' the statement said. 'India reiterated its support for the membership of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in INSTC. In this context, ministers appreciated the initiative taken by Kazakhstan to develop the eastern branch of INSTC,' it said. In his opening remarks at the conclave, Jaishankar appreciated the Central Asian states for standing by India following the Pahalgam terror attack. India would be a 'trusted development partner' for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, he said. 'I appreciate that your countries stood by India and condemned the heinous terrorist attack that took place in April in Pahalgam,' he said. Jaishankar said India 'deeply cherishes' its millennia-old civilisational and cultural ties with Central Asia. The external affairs minister said the cooperation between India and Central Asia received a 'quantum boost' following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's back-to-back visits to all five countries in the region in July 2015. 'Today, we are well-connected by multiple direct flights. Our enhanced connectivity facilitates greater two-way tourist flows and businesses,' he said. Jaishankar said both India and the Central Asian nations are committed to advancing mutually beneficial cooperation in areas of trade and investment, defence, regional connectivity, security and new and emerging technologies. The India-Central Asia Dialogue, launched in January 2019 in Samarkand, is a meeting of foreign ministers. It serves as a key platform for strengthening ties between India and Central Asia. The second meeting took place virtually in October 2020 and focused on regional security, counter-terrorism, and infrastructure development. PTI MPB VN VN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.


NDTV
34 minutes ago
- NDTV
How Horses, Mules Helped In Navigating Steep Slopes To Build Chenab Bridge
Katra: To make the vision of "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" come alive, the project team behind the construction of the Chenab bridge faced several challenges. Among them was how to reach the location surrounded by the steep slopes of the Himalayas. The team had only one option -- horses and mules. According to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the top infrastructure company that constructed the bridge, one of the main and earliest challenges was access to the bridge location, to transport equipment and construction materials. "Initially, mules and horses were used by the project team to reach the location. Slowly over a period, temporary roads were created and access was made available to the site," a spokesperson from the company said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the iconic Chenab Bridge, Anji Rail Bridge and Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project and flagged off Vande Bharat trains, connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The spokesperson added that eventually on the North side of the river bank, an 11-km road was constructed and a 12-km long road on the South side. Krishnamurthy Subramanian, Executive Vice Chairman, Afcons, said the Chenab Railway Bridge is more than just a marvel of engineering. "It is a symbol of India's resolve to conquer the most formidable challenges with ingenuity and courage," Subramanian told PTI. The company used the world's tallest crossbar cable cranes and specialised heavy machinery as tools for this ambitious project. "The ancient and steep slopes of the Himalayas were tamed using massive consolidation grouting, making them sturdy for the colossal arch foundations," the company said, highlighting challenges it faced. "With the foundations set, the erection of the arch from both sides was planned by cantilever construction technique. The first big moment of triumph came on April 5, 2021, when a single majestic arch approaching steadily from both banks met at the crown," it added. "The viaduct construction was another unique challenge. There were multiple transition areas. Keeping this in mind, the launching sequence was meticulously planned in four sections," the spokesperson. Giridhar Rajagopalan, Deputy Managing Director, Afcons told PTI that for the first time in Indian Railways, incremental launching was done on transition curve and a longitudinal gradient, both occurring at same location, for the deck launching of the viaduct portion of the Chenab Bridge. S Paramasivan, Managing Director, Afcons, "For Afcons, it represents our unwavering commitment to nation-building and our ability to reimagine infrastructure in the toughest terrains. This bridge will inspire generations of engineers and stands as a tribute to the power of Indian engineering and teamwork." For the first time in the Indian Railways' history, a laboratory accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration (NABL) was set up to ensure that quality was being monitored at every stage of the project. Situated at a height of 359 metres above the river, the Chenab bridge is 35 metres higher than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris and the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab river. After inaugurating the Chenab bridge, the prime minister walked on it holding the Tricolour high. He travelled in a rail engine coach to reach the spot.


Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Vyapam to police constable recruitment, it's endless series of scams: Patwari
Bhopal: Congress state unit president Jitu Patwari on Friday came down heavily on the BJP govt for the recently exposed police constable recruitment "scam". "MPPSC (Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission) has now become a corruption recruitment department," Patwari said. "Fake candidates were made to sit in the constable recruitment exam through solver gangs. So far, 16 FIRs have been registered, but no concrete action seems to have been taken. Earlier, the same pattern has been seen in the Patwari recruitment, primary teacher recruitment, and many other recruitment examinations," he said. He argued that lakhs of youth in the state dream of govt jobs and toil night and day for it. "But this govt is busy digging the grave of their dreams. I want to ask the govt - why are the children and youth being strangled? Will the hard work of the youth now be sacrificed to conspiracies?" Patwari asked. "From Vyapam to constable recruitment, it is an endless series of corruption. Till when will the MP govt put the future of the youth at stake?" he asked. Recalling the Vyapam recruitment scam, the Congress chief said, "Not only did a scam take place, but justice was murdered. More than 50 deaths took place, including students, journalists and officials associated with the scam. Even today, not a single accused has been punished. All have been acquitted. What kind of justice is this? Is this the Ram Rajya that the BJP talks about?" Patwari said the Congress would raise these questions on public forums. "This is not the time to sit quietly. We will ask questions and demand answers from the govt and society. When the daughters of the country are unsafe, when the future of the youth is in the dark, when the recruitment system is in the hands of mafias, then it is the responsibility of the opposition to raise its voice and get justice for the people." Besides, Patwari asked who is taking the salaries of the 50,000 missing govt employees over the past two decades. He claimed that 50,000 govt employees did not withdraw their salaries amounting to Rs 250 crore this year. "Fifty thousand employees of the state govt have gone missing. More than Rs 250 crore in salary is not being withdrawn by these employees. The govt has appointed a commission for this and asked to find the missing employees," Patwari said. "The state has 4.5 lakh employees, and the govt is trying to track 50,000 of them. This is a huge financial and administrative chaos. Now there is no one to take the salary, so in the last 22 to 25 years, who was taking this money of Rs 500 crore per year? It is an amount as big as Rs 12,500 crore that has been taken, but by whom." He said the state govt was continuously taking loans. "We have again taken a loan of Rs 450 crore. The people of the state need to awaken; they (BJP govt) have made govt employees disappear and have been taking their salaries for years. The BJP govt has made unique scams in the state – a Chambal scam, a snake bite scam, there are 42 different scams that have hit the state under BJP rule. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !