Background of the Operation Kaveri

Sudan has been plagued by conflicts and instability for decades, with two civil wars between the central government and the southern regions, a continuing conflict in the western region of Darfur, and several military coups and protests. In 2019, a popular uprising led by the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) toppled the long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir and paved the way for a power-sharing agreement between the military and civilian forces. The agreement established a transitional government headed by General al-Burhan and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, with a mandate to hold democratic elections by 2024.

However, on 15 April 2023, the RSF, a paramilitary group led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (also known as Hemeti), launched a surprise attack on multiple Sudanese Army bases across the country, including in the capital Khartoum. The RSF claimed to have captured key strategic locations such as Khartoum International Airport, Merowe Airport, El Obeid Airport, and a base in Soba. Clashes between RSF and Army forces erupted at the Presidential Palace and at the residence of General al-Burhan, with both sides claiming control over the two sites. The RSF accused the transitional government of corruption, mismanagement, and betrayal of the revolution, while the Army denounced the RSF as traitors and coup plotters.

The violence and chaos triggered a humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where millions of people were trapped without access to basic services such as food, water, electricity, health care, and communication. The United Nations estimated that more than 1.5 million people were displaced and more than 2,000 people were killed or injured due to the conflict. The international community condemned the coup attempt and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to civilian rule.

Role of Indian Air Force in Operation Kaveri

India has close historical and cultural ties with Sudan, where more than 4,000 Indians live and work, mainly in Khartoum. India also has significant economic interests in Sudan, where it has invested in oil exploration, infrastructure development, agriculture, education, health care, and capacity building. India has also contributed to peacekeeping missions in Sudan under the UN umbrella.

As soon as the conflict erupted in Sudan, India expressed its deep concern over the situation and urged all parties to exercise restraint and respect the democratic transition process. India also activated its contingency plan to evacuate its citizens and foreign nationals from Sudan as soon as possible. India named its evacuation operation as Operation Kaveri, after the river that flows through southern India.

The IAF played a crucial role in Operation Kaveri by providing airlift support for the evacuees from Sudan to Saudi Arabia and India. The IAF deployed two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft on standby in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as part of preparations for evacuation. The C-130J is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft that can carry up to 92 passengers or 64 paratroopers. It can operate from short and unprepared runways and can perform various missions such as airlift, airdrop, air-to-air refueling, special operations, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief,
and medical evacuation.

The IAF also coordinated with other friendly countries such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey to facilitate its evacuation operations. On 25 April 2023, Saudi Arabia safely evacuated 91 foreign nationals from Port Sudan by sea, out of which 66 were from friendly countries including India. The evacuees were transported by an Indian Navy ship INS Sumedha to Jeddah. On 27 April 2023, Turkey allowed an IAF C-130J aircraft to land at Wadi Seidna Air Base near Khartoum to evacuate 121 Indian nationals. The flight was dangerous, as fighting was going on in the area and a Turkish plane had come under fire there earlier. The IAF pilots used their onboard electro-optical and infrared sensors to ensure that the runway was free of obstructions and no hostile forces were in the vicinity.

The IAF continued its evacuation operations till 6 May 2023, when it brought the final batch of 47 passengers home by a C-130J flight from Jeddah. The IAF successfully evacuated a total of 3,862 people from Sudan, out of which 3,741 were Indian nationals and 121 were foreign nationals from 18 countries. The IAF also transported essential supplies such as food, water, medicines, and blankets to the evacuees in Sudan and Saudi Arabia.

The IAF played a vital role in Operation Kaveri by providing airlift support for the evacuees from Sudan to Saudi Arabia and India. The IAF displayed its professionalism, courage, and humanitarian spirit by conducting the evacuation operations in a timely, efficient, and safe manner. The IAF also demonstrated its operational readiness, strategic reach, and interoperability with other friendly forces by operating from different locations and platforms. The IAF earned the gratitude and appreciation of the Indian government, the evacuees, and the international community for its role in Operation Kaveri.

Origins and Evolution of Dog-Fighting

The first recorded instance of plane-on-plane combat occurred during the Mexican Revolution in 1913, between two American mercenaries fighting for opposing sides. However, neither pilot wanted to harm the other, so they exchanged pistol fire without hitting each other². The first true dog-fights took place during World War I, when aircraft were initially used for reconnaissance and observation. As the war progressed, pilots began to arm their planes with machine guns and engage in aerial duels with enemy planes. The term dog-fight was coined by British pilots who compared the chaotic and fast-paced nature of these battles to a melee between dogs³.

During World War I, some of the most famous dog-fighters were Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron), Eddie Rickenbacker, René Fonck, and Billy Bishop. They developed and refined various tactics and maneuvers to gain an advantage over their opponents, such as the Immelmann turn, the split-S, the barrel roll, and the scissors⁴. These maneuvers involved changing the direction, speed, altitude, and angle of attack of the aircraft to achieve a better position for firing or evading. The main factors that determined the outcome of a dog-fight were the pilot’s skill, situational awareness, and aircraft performance.

Dog-fighting continued to be a dominant form of air combat during World War II, despite the introduction of more advanced technologies such as radar, radio communication, and jet engines. Some of the most famous dog-fights of this era were the Battle of Britain, the Battle of Midway, and the Battle of Kursk. Some of the most renowned dog-fighters of this era were Erich Hartmann (the Black Devil), Richard Bong (the Ace of Aces), Saburo Sakai (the Samurai), and Chuck Yeager (the first man to break the sound barrier). They used various tactics and maneuvers to exploit the strengths and weaknesses of their aircraft and their enemies’, such as the boom-and-zoom, the energy trap, the high yo-yo, and the low yo-yo. These maneuvers involved managing the energy state of the aircraft, which is a combination of its speed and altitude, to maintain an advantage over the opponent.

Dog-fighting declined in importance and frequency after World War II, as air combat shifted to longer ranges and higher altitudes with the development of BVR missiles, radar-guided guns, and electronic warfare systems. Some of the few instances of dog-fighting that occurred during this period were the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Arab-Israeli conflicts, and the Indo-Pakistani wars. Some of the most notable dog-fighters of this period were James Jabara (the first jet ace), Giora Epstein (the ace of aces among jet pilots), Randy Cunningham (the only American ace of Vietnam), and Abhinandan Varthaman (the hero of Balakot). They used various tactics and maneuvers to counter or evade enemy missiles and radars, such as chaffs, flares, jammers, notching, beaming, and crank. These tactics involved deceiving or avoiding enemy sensors and weapons systems to survive or engage.

Current Status and Future Prospects of Dog-Fighting

Dog-fighting is largely considered obsolete in modern air combat operations due to the dominance of BVR missiles and stealth technology. Most air forces rely on these capabilities to achieve air superiority and strike targets without engaging in close-range combat. However, some scenarios may still require dog-fighting skills, such as when BVR missiles fail or are depleted, when the rules of engagement prohibit firing at long ranges, when the enemy has similar or superior technology, or when the mission involves air policing or air show. Therefore, some air forces still train and practice dog-fighting as a contingency plan or a demonstration of flying proficiency.

The future of dog-fighting may depend on the development of new technologies and doctrines that may change the nature and dynamics of air combat. Some of these technologies include hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial vehicles, swarm drones, and laser weapons. Some of these doctrines include network-centric warfare, multi-domain operations, and distributed lethality. These technologies and doctrines may create new challenges and opportunities for dog-fighting, such as faster and more agile targets, autonomous and cooperative adversaries, and more diverse and dispersed threats. Therefore, dog-fighting may not be completely irrelevant in the future, but may require new skills and strategies to adapt to the changing environment.

Dog-fighting is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft at close range. It originated during World War I and evolved through World War II and the Cold War. It declined in importance and frequency after World War II due to the development of BVR missiles and stealth technology. However, it is still taught and practiced by some air forces as a last resort option or a demonstration of flying proficiency. The future of dog-fighting may depend on the development of new technologies and doctrines that may change the nature and dynamics of air combat.

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Combined Defence Services Exam (CDS) 2021 is scheduled for November 14, 2021. Anyone who wants to have an esteemed career in Indian Armed forces as a commissioned officer needs to qualify this test. The test is conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) of India.  Every candidate should aim to score the maximum marks in this exam to qualify for next level of recruitment process, the Service Selection Board (SSB) interview.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you score maximum marks in CDS 2021:

• Carefully read and understand the instructions & question paper
  Before you start answering the questions, you should carefully read all instructions and questions in the paper. It will help you identify easy sections in the paper which you can attempt first.
• Time Management
  You get 2 hours for each paper and have to solve 100 Maths questions, 120 GK questions and 120 English questions each. Managing time during the test is critical to your success. Attempt the questions you are a sure of first. In English paper, leave the passage questions for the last. First hour gives maximum efficiency and you should make best use of it.
• Double check your answers
  Double check you answers before you commit them.
• Use method of elimination in General Knowledge paper
  There might be two correct options available, but the candidate has to choose the best one, by using the elimination method. So check all options given before you answer the question.
• Remember CDS Exam has negative marking
  Do not take negative marking lightly. At times, if a candidate has answered one right questions and given wrong answers of three, then the wrong answers will eat-up the marks of the right one. Only answer questions you are 100% sure of.
• Do not waste time in calculating number of questions attempted during the exam
  Focus on solving the paper first. If you do have time left after the solving the question paper you can utilize that to calculate the number of questions answered.

TIDES Academy wishes all candidates appearing for CDS 2021 ALL the BEST.

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TIDES Academy is a premier coaching Institute for Indian Defence Services Exams like CDS, AFCAT, TA, CAPF. We offer dedicated courses for each exam with excellent results.

Interview is a process to get information about the candidate, assess him/her for skill sets, personality traits and aptitude as required for the job he/she is being interviewed for. Service Selection Board (SSB) interview is a very comprehensive interview process in which the candidates are evaluated for different parameters before they are eligible to be recruited as commissioned officers in Indian Armed Forces.

Primary aim of SSB interview is to assess the candidates, who have qualified in written exams, for officer like qualities (OLQs) which will make them successful officers in the armed forces. PIQ is also part of this process. All candidates who pass the initial screening are required to fill in a PIQ form. PIQ contains questions about basic information about the candidate like name, qualifications, family information, family background and personal achievements.

Answers you submit in your PIQ are your first impression on the interviewing officers and Psychologist. Your answers in the PIQ help the evaluators understand your personality – your attitude, aptitude, social adaptability etc. All further questions and exercise may be based on the information you provide in your PIQ.

Not only the information provided in the PIQ but how the PIQ filled also says a lot about the candidate. For example, if the PIQ is filled hurriedly with lot of mistakes and overwriting, it may reveal the candidate is careless or not focussed. If the order of events, achievements is not proper, it may reveal the candidate is not organized. On the other hand, mentioning important details in proper order may reveal you are an organized and focussed. Activities and their details also provide insight to the evaluators about how socially adjustable you are.

Some of the questions asked in PIQ include:

• Personal Information: Name, personal details about yourself and your family.
• Family Information: Details about your family members, your relationship with them, details about your household and your family members profile like occupation, income etc.
• Education: Your education details may include information about your school, teachers and subjects you undertook and why? It may also include other extra-curricular activities you may have participated while studying
• Friends: Information about your friends may include number of friends you have, type of friends you have, your relationships with different types of friends and reasons for such choices.
• Hobbies: This section seeks information about your hobbies and interest. The kind of sports or games you like. How you pass your free time etc.

Tips to fill your PIQ form correctly:

• Take your time to fill the PIQ form.
• Use neat handwriting, avoid any over writings, fill the form correctly.
• Furnish all details in detail but in a very concise manner
• Keep the sequence of events you describe chronological
• And, most important answer all questions truthfully and honestly.

Remember most of the questions directed at you in the interview will be based on the information you provide in your PIQ. The interviewing officer spends some 5-10 minutes to read your PIQ before you go in for the interview. He/She will then base their questions to assess how truthful and genuine you have been about the information you have provided.

For guidance on how to prepare for SSB interview call us at 9896106442.

To join Indian Armed forces one has to go through a comprehensive and strict selection process. The process starts with a written exam (NDA/CDS/AFCAT) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) of India. Once the candidate qualifies the written exam they have to undergo a stringent Interview process conducted by Service Selection Board. In short, the process is generally referred to as SSB interview or simply SSB.

Only the very few candidates who pass all stages of SSB are recruited as commissioned officers in various arms of Indian Armed Forces. In our last article we discussed the Pros and Cons of SSB Coaching. Today we will discuss what SSB interview is all about. What are the evaluators looking for in the SSB Interview?

What are OLQs (Officer Like Qualities)

In a SSB interview each candidate is evaluated for passion of Officer Like Qualities or OLQs. Every candidate is assessed if he/she is adequate in the following qualities:

• Reasoning & Organizing Ability,
• Communication skills,
• Sociability,
• Leadership,
• Will power & Determination.

SSB looks for candidates who can be leaders. A real leader must be an agent for change, an inspirer and developer who is able to show the way forward, integrate people and ideas and be prepared to instigate rapidly the most effective option. Particularly, in times of tension or war, an effective leader will have to be able to bring both colleagues and subordinates along in a way that is at once identified as pragmatic, meaningful and militarily cost-effective.

Both basic and effective intelligence is gauged to see how candidates perform while coping with practical situation of varying complexity. It involves coming up with unique independent solutions of practical problems or situations with or without the help of improvisation of resources at hand. Candidates are evaluated for their reasoning ability and problem solving techniques. Organizing ability is tested by watching how candidates arrange the resources in a systematic way so as to produce effective results.

Communication Skills include variety of parameters which include power of expression, attitude, ability to put one’s ideas and thoughts in crisp and clear manner, and ability to influence others towards your point. The basic idea of assessment of communication skills is to see how easily one can put across his ideas in the mind of people.
Sociability or social adaptability is to see how the candidates adjust in different environments consisting of different kind of people and how well he/she can win the trust of the people. This factor is also a measure of the individual’s ability to effectively deal when part of social group and get the desired work done. Other parameters are sense of responsibility, sense of duty and discipline.

Leadership qualities are mix of several factors like self-confidence, ability to take initiative, and ability to influence a group. Candidates are tested for these qualities to assess if, under stressful unfamiliar and leaderless situations, they are able perform, take charge and control the situation.

Apart from above the candidates undergo various tests and exercises to assess their self-confidence, courage, stamina, drive and determination. They are tested if they can sustain an effort to achieve objectives in spite of obstacles and setbacks and have mental strength and drive towards the achievement of the object.

The candidates must have all of these qualities in sufficient amounts to be deemed suitable for defence services. Some of these qualities are part of person’s basic nature and personality. A lot of these qualities are gained with our day to day experiences. Some others can be inculcated by training and practice. One must keep these qualities in mind and perform accordingly to shop them during SSB interview testing.

The first question every candidate who clears his or her CDS/NDA/AFCAT exam is if they need SSB interview Coaching. There is not correct answer for this because there have been candidates who cleared the SSB without Coaching and then there are candidates who could not clear even with coaching. Having said that, like every other test or interview, if you know what you are going to face and go well prepared the chances of your success increase significantly.

In this article we will discuss the pros and cons of getting coached for your SSB interview. To do that we need to first understand what is the SSB interview all about.

Service Selection Board or SSB is the final test to qualify to be recruited as a commissioned officer in any of the Indian armed forces- Army, Navy or Airforce. SSB is a process where candidates are assessed for their potential and ability to become an officer. So essentially, the examiners are looking for skills like leadership, intellect, communication and attitude, in short officer like qualities.

How does SSB coaching help?

The main aim for coaching for SSB is not to provide a shortcut or a sure short formula to clear the exam but to familiarize the candidate with the whole process. SSB is a multi-stage process undertaken over few days. You have to clear the one stage to qualify for the next. Coaching explains each stage and helps you familiarize yourself with the different stages. Familiarization offers confidence. If you are aware of what you are going to encounter you are mentally prepared for it and feel more confident. Confidence is one of the key aspects which are tested during SSB.
Coaching also helps you experience the tasks like group discussions, group tasks etc. The experience helps improve your communication skills and you learn the art of expressing or projecting your qualities through – verbal expression, body language and actions. It also helps your do self-assessment and improve to improve in the areas you may lack.

Negative aspects of SSB Coaching

What you learn in coaching may not be what you will face in SSB. Candidates who may rely too much on coaching may limit their thinking. The idea of coaching is to make you learn how to find solutions and not memorize them.
Some candidates tend to give scripted or taught responses without thinking about the answers to the questions with an open mind. This goes against them because the examiner is looking for candidates who are quick thinkers and can come up with unique solutions without being shy about it.

SSB is a very competitive and comprehensive test to evaluate candidate’s psych, mental abilities, leadership qualities and communication skills to name a few. Only the best of best qualify SSB. But it is still a test. If you have it in you, coaching will help you sharpen your skills and greatly increase your chances of success.

Feel free to comment about your experience of SSB interview and what do you think about SSB coaching, did it help your or not?

On May 1, 1938, the first Indian Cavalry Regiment of the British Indian Army got “Mechanised” by shedding its traditional horse mount for Tanks. Since then, the Indian Army celebrates May 1 as “Armour Day”

The Scinde Horse, an elite Indian Cavalry Regiment that continues to serve with honour as part of the Indian Army, was the first Regiment to get Mechanised. It was equipped with Armoured Cars and Vikers Light Tanks.

The Armoured Corps is one of the important combat arms of the Indian Army and it currently consists of 67 armoured regiments, including the president’s bodyguards.

Best wishes to the Armoured Corps on the occasion of “Armour Day.”

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What is NPR?

National Population Register or NPR contains a list of all residents, who have lived at a locality for at least the last six months and plans to stay in that area for the next six months or more. It is prepared at the local (village/sub-town), sub-district, district, state and national level.

The idea is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country. The database would contain demographic as well as biometric particulars. NPR listing will be carried out simultaneously along with the Census. While the process of NPR and Census will begin simultaneously, the two databases are not same. The census is the largest single source of a variety of statistical information on different characteristics of the people of India while NPR only contains demographic information.

Why NPR if Census Exists?

Officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs state that NPR helps identify the current demographics of actual residents who will be direct beneficiaries of any schemes launched in the area.

What is NRC?

National Citizen’s Register or NRC is a verified digital register containing names and basic demographic information about all Indian citizens in a digital format. A person born in India or having Indian parentage or having resided in India for at least 11 years, is eligible for Indian citizenship.

Difference between NPR & NRC

Among the on-going protests and breaking news in media, the general public is confused about both the terms and its implications.

According to the Citizenship Rules, notified on December 10, 2003, NPR is ‘the register containing details of persons usually residing in a village or rural area or town or ward or demarcated area within a ward in a town or urban area. NRC is a register containing details of Indian Citizens living in India and outside India.

NRC, though theoretically a subset of NPR, was first prepared in 1951 and after that no updation has happened. Unlike NPR, names included in NRC are scientifically screened before it find a place in NRC. NRC is just a register of citizens and doesn’t contain any metadata.

NPR (National Population Register) and NRC (National Register of Citizens) are quite different from each other since NRC does not include foreign citizens. NPR’s scope and purpose are limited for entering the person to the list, the details presented by the individual by word of mouth are only considered and no document proof is required as mandated in case of NRC.

Also at this point of time NRC is only going to be implemented in Assam only, since Assam has been facing the problem of illegal migrants from Bangladesh

The Indian Navy has an important role in securing the marine borders of the country as well as enhancing the international relations of India through seaport visits, joint exercises, humanitarian calamity relief and so on. The modern Indian Navy has as undergone speedy renovation in order to improve its position in the Indian Ocean region.

A very Happy Navy Day to our men in white! ‘Thank you’ to all the Sea Warriors, serving and retired, for defending our seas & protecting our land. Salute to our brave martyrs. शं नो वरुणः

You can too Join Indian Navy and contribute towards the National Security of the country. Indian Navy is inviting application from men and women of the country to join Indian Navy as Short Service Commission Officers in various branches. You can find more details about the selection criteria and online application process of INET-2020 (Indian Navy Entrance Test)

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