Don’t Delay Stocktaking
(Source: The Indian Express, Editorial Page)
Also Read: The Indian Express Editorial Analysis: 03 July 2025
Also Read: The Hindu Editorial Analysis: 03 July 2025
| Topic: GS Paper 3: Internal Security, Defence Preparedness, Strategic Policy |
| Context |
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Why India Needs a Kargil-Like Review Post Operation Sindoor
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In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, India stands at a critical juncture in its military and strategic trajectory.
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Much like the lessons drawn after the 1999 Kargil conflict, the time is ripe for a structured national security audit.
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The success of tactical missions must be accompanied by institutional introspection to ensure long-term preparedness, credibility, and deterrence.
Why Operation Sindoor Demands a Review
Operation Sindoor, aimed at neutralizing cross-border terror infrastructure in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, was a bold display of India’s military resolve. However, similar to past operations, it exposed several operational and systemic gaps—ranging from intelligence sharing, air defense preparedness, joint command structures to perception management.
Just as the Kargil Review Committee led to sweeping changes in defense reforms, there is a need now for a Sindoor Review Committee to:
- Evaluate strategic coordination
- Enhance joint force interoperability
- Bolster information and psychological warfare capabilities
- Address technological, logistical, and doctrinal deficits
Key Areas Requiring Urgent Attention
1. Strategic Communication and Perception Management
- During Operation Sindoor, India failed to proactively control the narrative, allowing misinformation to spread.
- Pakistan’s communication strategy outpaced India’s in global forums, with media manipulation and diplomatic outreach.
- This eroded India’s diplomatic edge despite military success.
2. Air Defence and Intelligence Coordination
- Aircraft losses and infrastructure hits indicate vulnerabilities in air surveillance and missile interception systems.
- Joint operations lacked seamless communication between IAF and Army units, slowing response time.
- Civil-military intelligence coordination remains fragmented.
3. Tactical and Doctrinal Gaps
- The focus remains on visual-range air combat, whereas adversaries like China and Pakistan are investing in Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile systems.
- India must revamp its air combat doctrines and invest in real-time battlefield awareness systems.
4. Institutional Inertia
- While reforms post-Kargil were transformative, India lacks a consistent military audit culture post every major conflict.
- Repeated lapses in intelligence and coordination reflect the need for continuous war-gaming, simulation, and evaluation protocols.
Way Forward: Institutionalize Military Stocktaking
- Set up a post-operation review commission, like the Kargil Committee, to audit the entire spectrum—strategic, operational, and tactical.
- Improve civil-military fusion in decision-making, especially during fast-moving conflicts.
- Enhance information dominance capabilities—cyber warfare, satellite surveillance, and narrative control.
- Strengthen air and missile defense by integrating DRDO, armed forces, and private innovation.
- Regular joint training and simulation drills must be institutionalized across services.
Conclusion:
- India cannot afford complacency after military success. Strategic victories must be consolidated with honest introspection and adaptive reforms.
- A Sindoor Strategic Review will not only correct deficiencies but reaffirm India’s image as a responsible regional power with robust military preparedness.
- It is time to act decisively—before the next crisis tests our unexamined gaps.
Kargil Review vs Need for Sindoor Review
| Dimension | Kargil Review (1999) | Operation Sindoor (2025) – Review Need |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Undetected intrusions by Pakistani troops into Indian territory | Cross-border preemptive strikes against terror camps |
| Review Mechanism | Kargil Review Committee (KRC) led by K. Subrahmanyam | No formal institutional review body yet |
| Focus Areas | Intelligence failure, communication, border surveillance | Perception management, BVR readiness, joint operations, cyber-intelligence |
| Outcome | Creation of Defence Intelligence Agency, modernization of forces | Awaiting strategic assessment and structural reforms |
| Global Significance | Reasserted India’s defense autonomy post-nuclear tests | Signals India’s evolving doctrine of proactive defense and retaliation |
| Practice Question: (GS-3 | 15 Marks | 250 Words) Operation Sindoor has highlighted the need for a comprehensive institutional review mechanism to strengthen India’s national security architecture. Discuss the critical gaps revealed by the operation and suggest strategic reforms needed in the post-conflict phase. |
