Knowledge Nugget: How are ‘Operation Brahma’ and India’s legacy of humanitarian evacuation missions relevant for UPSC Exam?

3. Operation Kaveri 

In April 27, 2023, India launched Operation Kaveri to evacuate its nationals stuck in Sudan, where an intense conflict had broken out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), rival factions of the country’s military government.

Around 200-odd people, including the embassy staff, were stuck in Khartoum and the journey to Port Sudan was too risky to be undertaken. That’s when Wadi Seidna emerged as an alternative evacuation point. (Graphic: Abhishek Mitra)

The Indian government pressed the IAF’s transport aircraft, the C130J Super Hercules and the C17 Globemaster, and naval ships INS Sumedha and INS Tarkash into action. With the airfield at Khartoum not open for operations, those stranded were brought from various parts of the country to Port Sudan. Over 3,800 Indians were eventually brought back under this mammoth operation.

4. Operation Ganga 

In 2022, when war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, the government of India had launched Operation Ganga to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine. It also set up 24×7 control centres to assist in the evacuation of Indians through the border crossing points with Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic. As many as 90 flights were employed for the task, including 14 Indian Air Force flights.

5. Operation Devi Shakti

In August 2021, India launched Operation Devi Shakti to evacuate its citizens and Afghan partners from Kabul after its swift takeover by the Taliban.

6. Vande Bharat Mission and Operation Samudra Setu

In one of the largest evacuation exercises since the 1990 Kuwait airlift, the government launched Vande Bharat mission in 2020 to bring home thousands of Indian nationals stranded abroad due to the coronavirus lockdown. Apart from the flights, the Indian Navy launched ‘Operation Samudra Setu’ (Sea Bridge) as a part of national effort to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas.

7. Operation Raahat

The Indian government organised Operation Raahat with the help of Indian armed forces to evacuate Indians as well as foreign citizens from conflict-hit Yemen in 2015. The operation was carried out amid Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen when the country was reeling with an internal crisis. The operation started by sea on April 1 and two days later the airlifts started too. The airlifts by the Indian Air Force and Air India resulted in the evacuation of over 4,500 Indians and at least 900 foreign nationals from 41 countries. The airlifts concluded on April 9.

8. Operation Maitri

Indian Air Force carried out Operation Maitri in 2015 when a massive earthquake hit Nepal. The quake of magnitude 8.8 on the Richter scale brought massive destruction to the country. India evacuated stranded Indians and rescued foreign nationals as well apart from providing humanitarian relief. Over 2,200 people were rescued from critical zones by the forces including foreigners.

9. Operation Safe Homecoming

Operation Safe Homecoming was organised by the Indian government which was a mixture of air and sea-based evacuation in 2011 from Libya. Around 15,000 stranded Indians were evacuated from the country while 3,000 chose to stay back. India evacuated Indians stuck in Iraq in 2003. The operation was planned for the evacuation of 50,000 people. The numbers of the total people evacuated vary but the official line puts the operation as a success.

10. Operation Sukoon

Operation Sukoon was carried out during the 2006 Lebanon war when a military conflict broke between Israel and Hezbollah. It was launched to evacuate Indians, Sri Lankans and Nepalese citizens from war-hit Lebanon. Of the 10,000 Indians living in Lebanon at the time, around 2,000 were at a risk and were in the conflict zone. At the end, 2,280 people were evacuated from Lebanon–1,764 Indians, 112 Sri Lankans, 64 Nepalese and seven Nepalese nationals with Indian spouses. The Indian forces also evacuated citizens of some other friendly countries as courtesy.

BEYOND THE NUGGET: Airlift of Indians from Kuwait

1. The airlift of Indians from Kuwait in 1990 was one of the biggest such operation organised by the Indian government ever.

2. The operation was carried out between August and October after Kuwait was invaded by Iraqi forces. At least 1,75,000 Indians were evacuated taking the help of Air India and civil aircraft.

3. Air India found its way into the Guinness Book of World Records for carrying out the largest number of people evacuated by a civilian airliner.

Post Read Question

Consider the following pairs:

1. Operation Maitri : Nepal

2. Operation Dost : Turkiye

3. Operation Brahma: Myanmar

Which of the pairs given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

(Sources: India delivers relief materials to quake-hit Myanmar under ‘Operation Brahma’, The untold story of a rescue operation, India launches Operation Ajay, Operation Ajay, Vande Bharat, Samudra Setu missions, Kuwait airlift to Operation Raahat)

🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for March 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨

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 – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.