logo
On KBC Independence Day special, 3 women defence officers take centre stage. And it's sure to give you goosebumps

On KBC Independence Day special, 3 women defence officers take centre stage. And it's sure to give you goosebumps

Time of India4 hours ago
Kaun Banega Crorepati's Independence Day Special focused on real-life accounts from the Indian Armed Forces. Hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, the episode had Colonel Sofiya Qureshi (Indian Army), Wing Commander Vyomika Singh (Indian Air Force), and Commander Prerna Deosthalee (Indian Navy), who shared first-hand details from Operation Sindoor.
Highlighting Operation Sindoor on national television
As seen in the promotional video, the episode brought to the forefront the officers' experiences during the operation. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh explained the mission's rapid pace, stating it was completed between 1:05 AM and 1:30 AM — just 25 minutes from start to finish.
*OPERATION SINDOOR*INDIAN ARMED FORCES CARRIED OUT *PRECISION STRIKE AT TERRORIST CAMPS* pic.twitter.com/O9OxLrmEwn
The Indian Armed Forces undertook a highly sensitive and significant operation, known as Operation Sindoor. This event marked a rare and distinguished occasion where officials came forward not just to announce plans but to declare the successful completion of the mission, reflecting transparency and pride in the country's defense capabilities.
'For the first time, we saw our officers come and tell the nation that somewhere this was a signal, because usually the relationship with the forces is different, but today's decision was for the country' said Sofiya Qureshi
Army perspective from Colonel Sofiya Qureshi
Colonel Qureshi described this as the first time officers addressed the nation directly about such a sensitive mission. She said the Armed Forces are always prepared, and when the order came, they were ready. She stressed the responsibility to inform audiences both in India and internationally about how the mission was executed. Calling it a rare honour for a woman officer, she expressed appreciation to the government for the opportunity.
'This was a very sensitive operation. We were given a responsibility to inform the nation at the national and international levels— the audience about how we executed this operation. It was a rare honor and distinction for a woman officer to give the truth, so we are happy the government gave us this chance' she said
Air Force insights from Wing Commander Vyomika Singh
Wing Commander Singh noted that while Air Force officers routinely brief internally, the key difference here was the audience the nation and global viewers. She pointed out that unlike standard briefings which explain planned operations, this one reported an operation already completed.
Navy's role in national security
Operation Sindoor strikes again this time in prime time. KBC just turned history into a mic-drop moment. pic.twitter.com/1k4eYOl8gF
Commander Prerna Deosthalee highlighted that the Indian Navy serves as the first line of defence at sea, responding to war-like situations and monitoring hostile movements. She explained its capability to operate across surface ships, aircraft, and submarines, ensuring dominance in all three maritime dimensions.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

India First: PM's RSS praise sparks firestorm, 'Sudarshan Chakra' for India
India First: PM's RSS praise sparks firestorm, 'Sudarshan Chakra' for India

India Today

timean hour ago

  • India Today

India First: PM's RSS praise sparks firestorm, 'Sudarshan Chakra' for India

9:54 This special report marks 100 days of Operation Sindoor with a first-ever ground report from Ambala Air Force Station, home of the Golden Arrow Squadron. The programme details how Rafale fighter jets launched missions to strike terror camps and cripple multiple air bases deep inside Pakistan. It explores the omni-role capabilities of the French-procured jets, which can perform air-to-air, air-to-ground, and reconnaissance missions in a single sortie, armed with Meteor and Scalp missiles. The commanding officer of the Golden Arrows reveals the precision of the mission, stating, "the roles that were assigned to the squadron and the aircraft were successfully completed by the squadron and whatever weapons were delivered by the aircraft were very very precise." The report also notes that following the operation's success, the Indian Air Force has formally pitched for additional Rafale jets to offset its depleting squadron strength.

Next round of India-Asean goods pact review in Oct
Next round of India-Asean goods pact review in Oct

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Next round of India-Asean goods pact review in Oct

New Delhi: The next round of review talks for the Asean-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) will be held on October 6 and 7 in Jakarta, the government said Friday. The 10th round of the negotiations were held in New Delhi from August 10 to 14. Independence Day 2025 Modi signals new push for tech independence with local chips Before Trump, British used tariffs to kill Indian textile Bank of Azad Hind: When Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose gave India its own currency The commerce and industry ministry said the joint committee focused on advancing the ongoing review of the pact to enhance its effectiveness, accessibility and trade facilitation capabilities . "The discussions built on the progress achieved through eight active rounds of negotiations," it said, adding that delegates from all 10 Asean member states participated. Asean, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. "Bilateral trade reached $123 billion in FY25, reflecting the strong economic ties between the two sides and creating opportunities for enhanced cooperation in the years ahead," it said. Singapore trade, investment In a separate statement, the ministry said India and Singapore reviewed the ongoing collaboration in semiconductor sector and digitalisation of trade, and explored potential partnerships in skills development and capacity building. The issues were taken up at the fourth meeting of the India-Singapore Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment (JWGTI) held on August 14 in New Delhi. "The discussions focused on identifying priority sectors for greater alignment, improving logistics and supply chains, streamlining regulatory frameworks and exploring ways to facilitate cross-border trade," the ministry said. Singapore is India's largest trading partner within Asean, with total bilateral trade of $34.26 billion in FY25. It is also India's second-largest source of foreign direct investment with equity inflows of $163.85 billion between April 2000 and July 2024, accounting for about 24% of India's total inflows.

Pakistan's Ayub Khan sought US help to annexe Kashmir after Indus Treaty in 1960
Pakistan's Ayub Khan sought US help to annexe Kashmir after Indus Treaty in 1960

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Pakistan's Ayub Khan sought US help to annexe Kashmir after Indus Treaty in 1960

A new book reveals Ayub Khan's attempt to gain US support for capturing Kashmir after the Indus Waters Treaty. Khan linked water rights to territorial claims. He warned that US aid to India would be wasted without resolving the Kashmir issue. Kennedy offered a compromise, but Khan insisted on securing water resources. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Following the signing of the Indus Waters Treaty in 1960, the then Pakistani President Ayub Khan sought US President John F Kennedy 's support to capture Kashmir from India, a new book on the treaty has 'Trial by Water: Indus Basin and India-Pakistan Relations ', author Uttam Sinha, an expert on international water issues and IDSA senior fellow, recounts how, in July 1961-months after signing the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)-Khan arrived in Washington, already bristling over America's generous aid to a reception in his honour at Mount Vernon, tastefully arranged by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Ayub's displeasure was clear. In protest, he had suspended CIA's covert flights from airbases in East Pakistan, which supported Tibetan rebels, as well as U-2 flights over China from West Pakistan.A private garden walk with Kennedy thawed the frost. Ayub agreed to reopen the airbases; Kennedy, in turn, promised that the US will not supply any military equipment to India, according to the later in the Oval Office, Ayub, like a campaign general, spread out maps to press Pakistan's security concerns. The first showed Indian troop deployment-of the 1.5 million soldiers, only 15% faced China, while 85% were positioned against Pakistan. The second detailed 80,000-90,000 Afghan troops on the western border, armed with Soviet-supplied equipment. The third mapped Pakistan's thin defences against both neighbours. Throughout, Ayub insisted that without Kashmir, "Pakistan would be up the gum tree" if attacked from India or Afghanistan, Sinha pointed out in his and his advisers doubted the alarmism but recognised Kashmir as the litmus test of Indo-Pak peace. Kennedy proposed a compromise that the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru might accept. Ayub's answer was calculated. India could keep Jammu, but Pakistan needed "some miles" across the Chenab to secure water resources . His logic was simple-if the Indus Treaty gave Pakistan rights to the western rivers, and those rivers flowed from Kashmir, adjoining territories should belong to suggested Nehru, politically spent and out of touch with Kashmiris, was now ready for settlement. Without resolving Kashmir, he warned, US aid to India was wasted. Kennedy countered that US assistance was aimed at keeping India free from communist influence, not to buy loyalty, Sinha pointed out in his the meeting closed, Ayub made one final ask-if Kennedy's effort to sway Nehru during the latter's planned November 1961 Washington visit failed, and Pakistan returned to the UN over Kashmir, would the US back it?"Yes," Kennedy replied - an episode that, as the book makes clear, showed how deeply water and territory were entwined during the Cold War era's South Asian book also recalls how Nehru faced internal criticism over the IWT. He was described as an umpire in a cricket match-was how one MP described the PM during a fiery Lok Sabha debate on the treaty in November and December 1960. The charge, recorded in the book, captured the frustration of parliamentarians who believed India was giving away too much, too the treaty was signed on September 19, 1960, and debated in the House on November 30, the mood was anything but celebratory. Criticism came from across the political spectrum, including even the Congress benches. Ashok Mehta of the Praja Socialist Party famously called it a "second partition."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store