Latest news with #Indo-PakistaniWar
Deccan Herald
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Tharoor slams 'zealots'; says was clearly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks
After a long and successful day in Panama, i have to wind up at midnightvhere with departure for Bogota, Colombia in six hours, so I don't really have time for this — but anyway: For those zealots fulminating about my supposed ignorance of Indian valour across the LoC: in tge… — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 29, 2025 My dear @ShashiTharoor Alas ! I could prevail upon PM Modi to declare you as super spokesperson of BJP , even declaring as foreign minister before landing in India . How could you denigrate the golden history of Congress by saying that before PM Modi , India never crossed LOC… — Dr. Udit Raj (@Dr_Uditraj) May 28, 2025 Officers of 4 Sikh Regiment posing outside a captured Pakistani police station in Burki, Lahore District. This image is from the Battle of Burki (also known as the Battle of Lahore, 1965), a significant engagement during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, fought between Indian… — Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) May 28, 2025 Former PM Manmohan Singh : Many Surgical Strikes Conducted Under UPA…. CC @ShashiTharoor — Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) May 28, 2025
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Meet the two Indian Army generals who were promoted as field marshal
Pakistan's Army chief General Asim Munir has been promoted to the rank of field marshal for his apparent role in the recent India-Pakistan conflict. This move made him the second senior military officer in Pakistan to be promoted to the position. In India, the rank of field marshal has been conferred to only two officers until now: Sam Manekshaw in 1973 and Kodandera M Cariappa in 1986. Field marshal Sam Maneskshaw was conferred this rank in recognition of his service and leadership in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. Born, 1914 in Amritsar to a Parsi family, Manekshaw was also known as 'Sam Bahadur'. After he completed his higher command course at the Imperial Defence College, Manekshaw was appointed the general officer commanding of the 26th Infantry Division. He was the first Indian field marshal, which is the highest rank in the Indian Army. His extraordinary leadership in the Indo-Pak war led to the creation of Bangladesh, in which his strategic brilliance proved instrumental for India's victory. In 1968, Manekshaw was awarded Padma Bhushan, the third highest civillian honour for his response to the Nagalan and Mizoram insurgencies. In 2008 he died due to a progressive lung disease. The first Indian commander-in-chief of the Indian Army was field marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa was the first Indian commander-in-chief and assumed position in 1949. While he is credited with many firsts, he had an instrumental role in the transition of the Indian military from colonial to independent India. Born into a family of farmers in Coorg province, his family called him 'Chimma'. After independence, Cariappa took the role of deputy chief of general staff and organised three successive attacks. The attacks were aimed at reclaiming the strategic areas of Naushera, Jhangar, Poonch, Zoji La, Dras, and Kargil. Cariappa was the first Indian officer to attend the Staff College, Quetta, and was later commanded the 1/7 Rajputs, making him the first Indian to lead a battalion. His career of three decades came to an end when he passed away on May 15, 1993.
Mint
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
What is field marshal rank? How many generals have been promoted to this top position in India and Pakistan?
Pakistan government on Tuesday decided to promote Army Chief General Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal for his 'role' in the recent conflict with India. The decision makes General Munir the second top military officer in Pakistan's history to be elevated to the position. The decision to promote Gen Munir was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to an official statement. "The Government of Pakistan has approved the promotion of Gen Asim Munir (Nishan-e-Imtiaz Military) to the rank of Field Marshal for ensuring the security of the country and defeating the enemy based on the high strategy and courageous leadership," the prime minister's office said. But what is Field Marshal? How many generals in India and Pakistan have been promoted to this rank? Field marshal or FM is a five–star officer rank and the highest attainable rank in the Indian Army. The rank is immediately above general, but not in use in the army's current structure. The field marshal is a rank bestowed on generals for ceremonial purposes or during times of war. The rank has been awarded only twice in India. First conferred to Sam Manekshaw in 1973, in recognition of his service and leadership in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decided to promote Manekshaw to Field Marshal and subsequently to appoint him as the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) immediately after the war. On 3 January 1973, after his term as the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Manekshaw was promoted to field marshal at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The second individual to be conferred the Field Marshal rank in India was Kodandera M Cariappa, the first Indian to serve as the Commander–in–Chief of the Indian Army – the office that later became the Chief of the Army Staff. Unlike Manekshaw, who was promoted to field marshal a few days before leaving office as Chief of the Army Staff, Cariappa had retired for close to 33 years at the time of his promotion. Cariappa was rewarded for his exemplary service and conferred the rank of field marshal on 15 January 1986 at a special investiture ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. In recognition of his 'outstanding' military leadership, the cabinet approved the prime minister's proposal to promote Gen Munir to the rank of Field Marshal, a statement from the government of Pakistan informed. Gen Munir's promotion to the largely ceremonial rank came over a week-and-half after the Indian and Pakistani militaries reached an understanding on cessation of military actions after four days of intense hostilities. India has been maintaining that Pakistan pleaded for stopping the military actions after India hit nine military installations in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor on May 7. The operation was launched two weeks after terrorists struck and killed 26 people in Pahalgam valley of Jammu and Kashmir Earlier, the state-run PTV reported that the cabinet took the important decision to 'promote General Asim Munir as Field Marshal' of the country. "This is not a personal achievement, but a tribute to the armed forces and the people of Pakistan,' Munir said in a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). General Munir, who headed both spy agencies - the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Military Intelligence (MI) - assumed charge as the Army chief in November 2022. He succeeded General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who retired after two consecutive three-year terms. Before Munir, General Ayub Khan was elevated to the highest military rank in Pakistan. Ayub Khan was conferred the rank of Field Marshal in 1959. Ayub Khan, who ruled the country from 1958 to 1969, also led the country in the 1965 war with India. This is not a personal achievement, but a tribute to the armed forces and the people of Pakistan. However, what makes the promotion of General Munir different is that Khan was ruling the country after imposing martial law and in a way himself responsible for his elevation. Pakistan's tryst with dictators like Ayub Khan has been written about in the country and beyond. One of the most vocal Pakistani poets during General Ayub Khan's tenure between 1958 and 1977 was Habib Jalib. Jalib is known for his powerful satire 'Mein ne us se yeh kaha' (I said this to him), which became one of his most referred-to verses from the dictatorship era.
Mint
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
What is field marshal rank? How many generals have been promoted to this top rank in India and Pakistan?
Pakistan government on Tuesday decided to promote Army Chief General Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal for his 'role' in the recent conflict with India. The decision makes General Munir the second top military officer in Pakistan's history to be elevated to the position. The decision to promote Gen Munir was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to an official statement. "The Government of Pakistan has approved the promotion of Gen Asim Munir (Nishan-e-Imtiaz Military) to the rank of Field Marshal for ensuring the security of the country and defeating the enemy based on the high strategy and courageous leadership," the prime minister's office said. But what is Field Marshal. How many generals in India and Pakistan have been promoted to this rank? Field marshal or FM is a five–star officer rank and the highest attainable rank in the Indian Army. The rank is immediately above general, but not in use in the army's current structure. The field marshal is a rank bestowed on generals for ceremonial purposes or during times of war. The rank has been awarded only twice in India. First conferred to Sam Manekshaw in 1973, in recognition of his service and leadership in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decided to promote Manekshaw to Field Marshal and subsequently to appoint him as the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) immediately after the war. On 3 January 1973, after his term as the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Manekshaw was promoted to field marshal at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The second individual to be conferred the Field Marshal rank in India was Kodandera the first Indian to serve as the Commander–in–Chief of the Indian Army – the office that later became the Chief of the Army Staff. Unlike Manekshaw, who was promoted to field marshal a few days before leaving office as Chief of the Army Staff, Cariappa had retired for close to 33 years at the time of his promotion. Cariappa was rewarded for his exemplary service and conferred the rank of field marshal on 15 January 1986 at a special investiture ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. In recognition of his 'outstanding' military leadership, the cabinet approved the prime minister's proposal to promote Gen Munir to the rank of Field Marshal, the statement form government of Pakistan said. Gen Munir's promotion to the largely ceremonial rank came over a week-and-half after the Indian and Pakistani militaries reached an understanding on cessation of military actions after four days of intense hostilities. India has been maintaining that Pakistan pleaded for stopping the military actions after India hit ninet military installations in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor on May 7. The operation was launched two weeks after terrorists struck and killed 29 people in Pahalgam valley of Jammu and Kashmir Earlier, the state-run PTV reported that the cabinet took the important decision to 'promote General Asim Munir as Field Marshal' of the country. "This is not a personal achievement, but a tribute to the armed forces and the people of Pakistan,' Munir said in a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). General Munir, who headed both powerful spy agencies - the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Military Intelligence (MI) - assumed charge as the Army chief in November 2022. He succeeded General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who retired after two consecutive three-year terms. Munir was commissioned into the Frontier Force Regiment. Before Munir, General Ayub Khan to be elevated to the highest military rank in Pakistan. General Khan was conferred the rank of Field Marshal in 1959. Ayub Khan, who ruled the country from 1958 to 1969 also led the country in the 1965 war with India. This is not a personal achievement, but a tribute to the armed forces and the people of Pakistan. However, what makes the promotion of General Munir different is that Khan was ruling the country after imposing martial law and in a way himself responsible for his elevation.
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Daily subject-wise quiz: History and Culture MCQs on Indian infantry, rivers in Vedas, translations in colonial India (Week 111)
Are you preparing for UPSC CSE Prelims 2025? UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of daily subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Attempt today's subject quiz on History and Culture to check your progress. With inputs from Vikas Sharma 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Why is October 27 in India observed as Infantry day? (a) Victory of India in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 which led to the creation of Bangladesh. (b) INA, led by Subhas Chandra Bose, was formed. (c) Some units of the Bengal Native Infantry and Cavalry mutinied against the British East India Company. (d) The first military action by an Indian regiment against external aggression in Jammu and Kashmir. Infantry Day, observed on October 27, commemorates the first military action by an Indian regiment against external aggression. On October 27, 1947, the First Battalion of the Sikh Regiment arrived at Srinagar to defend Jammu and Kashmir from external aggression. Therefore, (d) is the correct answer. (For more, refer: Infantry Day 2024: Recalling the first Indian military action, on this date in 1947 in J&K, Explained, the Indian Express.) This inscription gives details of the functioning of the local sabha, i.e. the village assembly. A sabha was an assembly exclusively of brahmans and had specialised committees tasked with different things. The inscription details how members were selected, the required qualifications, their roles and responsibilities, and even the circumstances in which they could be removed. The inscription referred to in the above lines is: (a) Aihole inscription (b) Uttaramerur (c) Mandsaur inscription (d) Lumbini pillar inscription — Uttaramerur lies in present-day Kanchipuram district, approximately 90 km southeast of Chennai. Today, it is a small town and had a population of roughly 25,000 in the census of 2011. It is known for its historic temples built during Pallava and Chola rule. — The famous inscription from Parantaka I's reign is found on the walls of the Vaikunda Perumal Temple. — The inscription gives details of the functioning of the local sabha, i.e. the village assembly. A sabha was an assembly exclusively of brahmans and had specialised committees tasked with different things. The Uttaramerur inscription details how members were selected, the required qualifications, their roles and responsibilities, and even the circumstances in which they could be removed. Therefore, (b) is the correct answer. (For more, refer: What the Uttaramerur inscription, recently referred to by PM Modi, says; Explained, The Indian Express.) With reference to books and their translations in the colonial period, consider the following statements: 1. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's English translation of his Bengali work, Marriage of Hindu Widows, influenced the passage of the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act in 1856. 2. Orientalist Charles Wilkins, influenced by his judicial engagement with legal texts like the Manusmriti, published his translation titled Institutes of Hindu Law. 3. In Balidaan (Sacrifice), his Hindi translation of Victor Hugo's Quatre-vingt-treize, Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi enriched the text with contextual details about the French Revolution to emphasize its message of self-sacrifice for Indian readers. Which of the above given statements is/are not true? (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 — Orientalist William Jones, influenced by his judicial engagement with legal texts like the Manusmriti, published his 1794 translation titled Institutes of Hindu Law. As Tejaswini Niranjana observes in her article Translation, Colonialism and the Rise of English (1990), Jones's work embodied a broader colonial impulse—the belief that translation should be carried out by Europeans rather than Indians, in order to codify local laws and 'purify' Indian culture. Siddiqi concurs, 'For the British, translation was a project of control.' Hence, statement 2 is incorrect. — Another turning point in colonial translation came with English Orientalist Charles Wilkins' 1785 translation of the Bhagavad Gita. This, according to Jones, as cited by Kothari in her book Translating India (2014), was the 'event that made it possible for the first time to have a reliable impression of Indian literature.' — Indian social reformers played a pivotal role in legal reform. Gargi Bhattacharya highlights how Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's English translation of his Bengali work, Marriage of Hindu Widows, directly influenced the passage of the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act in 1856. — Translation also served as a mode of resistance. A powerful example is Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi's Hindi translation of Victor Hugo's Quatre-vingt-treize, retitled Balidaan (sacrifice), which he enriched with contextual details about the French Revolution to underscore its message of self-sacrifice for Indian readers. Hence, statement 1 and 3 are correct. Therefore, (b) is the correct answer. (For more, refer: From Ashokan edicts and Manusmriti to modern novels: deciphering the art and politics of translation in multilingual South Asia by Nikita Mohta, The Indian Express.) Match the following: Select the correct codes: (a) A-3, B-1, C-2 (b) A-2, B-3, C-1 (c) A-1, B-3, C-2 (d) A-2, B-1, C-3 — The Dargah in Ajmer is the mausoleum of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (also spelt Muinuddin or Mu'in al-din), one of the most pivotal figures for the spread of Sufism in the subcontinent. — The Dargah of Sufi Shah Sharif is located near Hirnigan in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh. — The Dargah of Salim Chishti, located within the historic Fatehpur Sikri complex, is one of the most iconic Sufi shrines in India. Salim Chishti was a revered Sufi saint of the Chishti order, known for his spirituality and miracles. Emperor Akbar, in his desire to have a son, sought blessings at the dargah and vowed to build a city in the saint's honour. Therefore, (a) is the correct answer. (For more, refer: Who was Moinuddin Chishti, the most important figure in the spread of Sufism in India? Explained, The Indian Express; Match the following: Select the correct codes: (a) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2, E-5 (b) A-1, B-5, C-5, D-4, E-1 (c) A-2, B-5, C-3, D-4, E-1 (d) A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1, E-5 — Geologically, the Indus is among Asia's oldest rivers. It likely began forming during the early Eocene Epoch, shaped by the tectonic uplift of the Tibetan Plateau following the collision of the Indian and Asian continental plates. This set the stage for one of humanity's earliest and most advanced civilisations: the Indus Valley Civilisation (c. 3000-1500 BCE). — In Vedic times, the Indus Basin was known as the Sapt Sindhu, or 'land of seven rivers,' which included the Saraswati. — The Rigveda's Book 6 describes the Saraswati as surpassing in majesty and might all other rivers. By Book 10, Sinha notes, the Indus had emerged as the dominant river. During this period, the rivers of the Indus region were referred to by various names: the Indus as Sindhu, the Chenab as Asikni, the Jhelum as Vitasta, the Ravi as Purushni, the Sutlej as Shutudri, and the Beas as Vipas. Therefore, (c) is the correct answer. (For more, refer: Terror, treaties, and civilisations: Indus through the centuries by Nikita Mohta, The Indian Express.) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Vikas Sharma is working as an intern with
