Operation Sindoor: Who is Lt Colonel Sophia Qureshi and why is she trending on social media
Lieutenant Colonel Sophia Qureshi is a distinguished officer in the Indian Army's Corps of Signals. She made history by becoming the first woman to lead an Indian Army contingent at a multinational military exercise. Hailing from Gujarat, Lt Col Qureshi was commissioned into the Indian Army through the Officers Training Academy in 1999. She comes from a family with a strong military background, which inspired her to pursue a career in the armed forces. Her early assignments included various postings across India, including in counter-insurgency areas, where she served in signal regiments.
In 2006, Lt Col Qureshi served as a military observer in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operation in Congo. This experience involved monitoring ceasefires and aiding in humanitarian activities to ensure peace in conflict-affected areas. Her work in such challenging environments highlighted her commitment to global peace and security.
In March 2016, Lt Col Qureshi led a 40-member Indian Army contingent at 'Exercise Force 18,' the largest foreign military exercise hosted by India. The exercise, held in Pune, saw participation from 18 ASEAN Plus countries, including China, the USA, Russia, Japan, and South Korea.
Her role was pivotal in training troops for Peacekeeping Operations and Humanitarian Mine Action. She was the only woman officer among all the participating contingents, reflecting her exceptional capabilities and breaking gender barriers in the military.
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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
India, Mongolia hold joint military drill 'Nomadic Elephant 2025' in Ulaanbaatar
The 17th edition of the joint military exercise ' Nomadic Elephant 2025 ' between India and Mongolia is currently underway at the Special Forces Training Centre in Ulaanbaatar , the Indian Army said. According to the Indian Army, the training focuses on conducting non-conventional operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain under a United Nations mandate. The objective is to enhance the operational capabilities of both forces. Participating contingents are actively exchanging best practices in counter-terrorism operations and precision sniping, thereby improving interoperability. Through these joint drills, Indian and Mongolian forces aim to strengthen their ability to respond effectively to contemporary security challenges. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Direct shopping From Adidas Franchise Store... Adidas Buy Now Undo The 'Nomadic Elephant 2025' exercise began on May 31 and is scheduled to continue until June 13, 2025. The opening ceremony was attended by key dignitaries, including India's Ambassador to Mongolia, Atul Malhari Gotsurve, and Major General Lkhagvasuren Ganselem from the Mongolian side. Live Events Both leaders extended their best wishes to the participating troops and expressed hope that the exercise would further strengthen cooperation and mutual understanding between the armed forces of India and Mongolia. They emphasised that the joint exercise would enhance the operational readiness of both armies and contribute to deepening the enduring defence relationship between the two nations. This annual exercise is conducted alternately in India and Mongolia. The last edition was held at Umroi, Meghalaya, in July 2024. The Indian contingent comprises 45 personnel, mainly troops from a battalion of the Arunachal Scouts. The Mongolian armed forces contingent, of similar strength, is represented by a 150 Special Forces unit. The joint drills will include counter-terrorism operations in semi-mountainous terrain, endurance training, reflex shooting, room intervention, small team tactics, rock craft training, and cyber warfare aspects. Troops from both sides will also rehearse activities conducted during United Nations peacekeeping operations, simulating scenarios where multinational forces must work together effectively in complex situations.
The Wire
a day ago
- The Wire
The Scaling of Kanchenjunga and What it Means to Sikkim's Culture and Autonomy
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Culture The Scaling of Kanchenjunga and What it Means to Sikkim's Culture and Autonomy Jiwan Rai 11 minutes ago On May 18 this year, an expedition team under the Har Shikhar Tiranga Mission, an initiative of the Indian Army, planted the national flag atop the Kanchenjunga peak. This has hurt the indigenous Buddhist communities of Sikkim, to whom the mountain is a deeply revered spiritual entity. Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal during the Kanchenjunga expedition. Photo: Facebook. Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now Twenty-four years ago, while the rest of India was racing to open up 18 virgin peaks and 176 lesser-known summits to foreign climbers, the Sikkim government, through notification 70/HOME/2000, imposed a ban on expeditions to its highest peak, Kanchenjunga, along with seven other peaks considered sacred by local Buddhists. This administrative decision was actually the reaffirmation of a longstanding cultural tradition of reverence. In fact, an expedition to Kangchenjunga would fall under the scope of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which prohibits any desecration of sites held sacred. When British climbers Joe Brown and George Band first successfully ascended Kangchenjunga in 1955, they voluntarily stopped just short of the summit to honour local sentiments. Their act of restraint was more than a display of mountaineering ethics. It was a profound gesture of civilisational respect. Nearly seven decades after the respectful restraint shown by climbers on Kangchenjunga, fresh reports of another summit attempt have stirred a storm of emotions among the Bhutia and Lepcha communities of Sikkim. On May 18 this year, an expedition team under the Har Shikhar Tiranga Mission, a patriotic initiative of the Indian Army executed through the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), successfully planted the national flag atop the sacred peak. The mission, led by the celebrated mountaineer Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal, was envisioned as a tribute to India's unity in diversity. 'This wasn't just an expedition,' Colonel Jamwal remarked. 'It was a tribute to every corner of India. From the dense forests of the Northeast to the icy ramparts of Kanchenjunga, our Tiranga has now flown atop every state's highest point. I'm proud of the team and honoured to lead a mission that reflects the unity and diversity of our great nation.' Sacred However, beneath the wave of patriotic celebrations, are the hurt religious sentiments and cultural traditions of the indigenous Buddhist communities of Sikkim. To them Kanchenjunga is not merely a geographic pinnacle, it is a deeply revered spiritual entity. Its summit is considered sacred and has traditionally been off-limits to human trespass. This restriction is not unique to Sikkim; similar bans exist elsewhere. In China, Mount Kailash remains unclimbed due to its profound spiritual significance, while in Nepal, climbing Machapuchare and Khumbila is prohibited out of respect for their sacred status among the Gurung and Sherpa communities. The recent ascent has reignited a long-standing and sensitive debate between the fervour of national pride and religious belief. In this image released by @adgpi via X on May 19, 2025, a team of Indian Army and Nepali Army personnel climbs Kanchenjunga mountain. (@adgpi via PTI Photo) Photo: PTI In anticipation of this clash, the Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) had taken pre-emptive efforts. On April 4, it formally petitioned the Ministry of Defence and the governor of Sikkim, Om Prakash Mathur, urging them to halt the planned expedition. The irony should not be lost in how an initiative meant to celebrate the unity in India's diversity has hurt the sentiments of a religious and cultural group of a state that had merged with India by way of abolition of its own kingdom 50 years ago. True unity respects diversity, and true patriotism upholds the sentiments of all its peoples. Now, as the tricolour flutters over a peak considered sacred for centuries, the question before the nation is not merely who reached the top but at what cultural cost. When seen through a time-honoured Sikkimese lens, Kanchenjunga is not a trophy for adventurers, a playground for thrill-seekers, or just another tick on a climber's checklist. It stands as a symbol of cultural heritage and the pinnacle of religious identity for a significant section of Sikkim's people. In this context, the ban on climbing it is not merely a regulatory restriction. It is a civilisational assertion. And the significance of this act extends beyond religion or tradition. It is deeply political, rooted in the Sikkimese identity, dignity and autonomy. Politics Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang has written to Union home minister Amit Shah on the matter. But what exactly is the state government demanding in response to the violation? Why did it not act in advance? Given that the climbing ban was imposed by the state government back in 2001, should the authorities not have been consulted before any expedition was approved? Interestingly, Sonam Lama, the Sikkim Sangha minister – elected by a unique constituency which is reserved for Buddhist monks and nuns – downplayed the issue, noting that the expedition took place from the Nepalese side. It is unclear if the the Sikkim government fully grasps that at the heart of this issue lies the deeper question of Sikkimese autonomy. It must know that any violation here is not just cultural sacrilege but also an infringement of the special protections granted to Sikkim under Article 371F of the Indian Constitution. The state government thus faces a twofold responsibility: to safeguard the indigenous worldview of its people and to uphold the autonomy enshrined in its constitutional status. On one hand, the Bhutia-Lepcha cosmo-vision is being undermined. On the other hand, Sikkim's political and constitutional autonomy, hard-won and historically negotiated, must be defended against external decisions that bypass the state's authority and its cultural sensibilities. If Sikkim does not make its voice heard now, it risks losing its unique identity to India's broader and increasingly homogenised national narrative. The government must demand accountability for this violation, reaffirm the inviolability of its sacred landscapes and amplify indigenous voices before they are silenced forever. Jiwan Rai is a social and political commentator from Sikkim. He can be reached at jiwanr@ The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News Creating a People's Biography of Rivers: Northeast's Own Digital Archive Sikkim@50: Violence Is the New Normal Political Rent-seeking of Armed Forces is Detrimental to Democracy 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' Is an Operatic and Reverential, but Bloated Farewell After Greyhound Deaths in Anti-Maoist Operation, Maoists Call for Six-Month Ceasefire, Peace Talks How Contract Labour and Caste Inequality Undermine India's Sanitation Drive Govt Nixes Opposition Demand for Special Session by Early Announcement of Monsoon Session Dates Pakistan to Send Ambassador to Taliban Regime Three Punjabi Youths Missing in Iran Rescued by Cops in Tehran About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
India.com
a day ago
- India.com
Studied B.Tech from DTU, cracked SSB exam four times, now is India's first woman Combat Aviator of Army Aviation Corps, she is...
A woman is capable of everything, whether from giving birth to leading a nation as President. Women are now leading in every sector, from defence and politics to science, technology, business, and sports. This story revolves around an individual who, after cracking the SSB examination on her fourth attempt, fulfilled her dream of becoming an officer in the Indian Army. She made history by becoming the first woman combat aviator in the Indian Army. She is… Earlier on May 25, 2022, Major Abhilasha Barak completed her training at the Combat Army Aviation Training School in Nashik. Alongside 36 fellow pilots, she was formally inducted into the Army Aviation Corps and honoured with the coveted 'Wings', a symbol of her new role as a military aviator. Major Abhilasha Barak, who etched her name in history as the Indian Army's first woman combat aviator, completed her schooling at Lawrence School, Sanawar. Later, she went on to earn a in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Delhi Technological University (DTU). Speaking about her professional journey, Abhilasha commenced her career with a stint at Deloitte in the U.S., but her deeper aspiration was to serve the nation. In 2016, she began preparing for the armed forces and cleared the SSB interview four times. Her perseverance paid off when she was commissioned into the Army Air Defence Corps in September 2018. Hailing from Panchkula, Haryana, Major Abhilasha Barak comes from a proud military family. Her father, Colonel (Retired) S. Om Singh, and her brother have both served in the Indian Army. Growing up in a military environment, Major Barak embraced the spirit of patriotism and made serving the nation her lifelong goal. She has completed numerous military courses and rigorous training programs. Recognizing her leadership and dedication, she was chosen as the contingent commander representing the Army Air Defence during the Republic Day parade. In this role, she was honored by then-President Ram Nath Kovind. Major Barak's achievement sends a powerful message to young women across the country: with determination and courage, no dream remains unfulfilled. Her bravery, dedication, and hard work serve as an inspiration to everyone who aspires to serve the nation. While speaking to news agency ANI(2023), Major Abhilasha Barak once said, 'You need nothing but sheer passion. You need to be devoted, grab opportunity & work as hard as possible. Nothing is unachievable in today's date: Major Abhilasha Barak, First Woman Officer to join Army Aviation Corps as Combat Aviator, to women aspiring to join the armed forces.'
