Operation Kaveri in Sudan by Indian Government, Reason, Purpose

Operation Kaveri

Operation Kaveri, a rescue mission launched by the Indian government, aims to save numerous citizens who are currently facing unbearable circumstances in Sudan. The operation primarily focuses on evacuating individuals from the crisis-affected regions of the country. In an update provided by the External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar, it was stated that 1300 Indian citizens have already been safely evacuated through ‘Operation Kaveri’.

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What is Operation Kaveri?

Operation Kaveri, named after a prominent river in India, is a collaborative effort between the Indian government and its embassy in Sudan to ensure the safe return of Indian citizens who are currently stranded in crisis-hit areas of the country.

The operation was launched on April 24, 2023, in response to the ongoing violence in the affected region. To ensure the proper process of evacuation, a team of officials, including representatives from the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian embassy in Sudan, has been appointed by the Indian government. The evacuation process involves transferring Indian citizens from Sudan to Khartoum, the capital city, from where they will be flown back to India.

To ensure a smooth evacuation process, India has set up a transit facility in Jeddah, and the responsibility of overseeing the evacuation from the city has been entrusted to V Muraleedharan, the Minister of State for External Affairs.

Sudan’s current crisis is due to a military takeover of the government and power-sharing agreement that led to the overthrow of former President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019. Following this, a tentative deal for the transition to democracy was reached in December 2021, but disputes between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Army over the integration of RSF officials have caused tensions. The military’s coup in October 2021 further interfered with the plan for a transition to elections.

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Operation Kaveri Sudan Present Status

• INS Sumedha, INS Teg, and INS Tarkash, along with two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft and a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft of the IAF have been deployed for the evacuation of Indian nationals from Sudan.
• Approximately 1300 Indian nationals have arrived back in the country.
• The situation in Sudan is being constantly monitored, as the conflict between Sudanese armed forces and the country’s Rapid Support Forces remains highly volatile.
• One Indian national was reported killed in Sudan.

Operation Kaveri Registration and Outreach

• The embassy alerted and reached out to the Indian community in Sudan and issued advisories.
• India started an online registration process despite risks of power outages and network availability.
• Roughly 3,100 Indians have registered online and 300 are in touch with the mission there.
• V Muraleedharan is in Jeddah to receive the stranded Indian nationals coming in from Port Sudan.
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had spoken with his counterparts from key partners such as the US, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UK over, as well as the Secretary General of the UN, on the issue of bringing back stranded Indians from Sudan.

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Operation Kaveri UPSC 

Operation Kaveri is important for UPSC aspirants as it covers topics related to international relations, crisis management, and evacuation operations, which are part of the UPSC Syllabus. Understanding this operation can help in answering questions related to India’s foreign policy and its efforts in ensuring the safety of Indian citizens abroad. Aspirants can find relevant study material and coaching for this topic from various UPSC Online Coaching platforms and can also attempt UPSC Mock Test to assess their knowledge and prepare for the exam effectively.

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