Operation Sankalp
Also called: Op Sankalp · Topic: India and her Neighbours · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Operation Sankalp is a real, ongoing Indian Navy mission that protects Indian-flagged merchant ships. These are trading ships registered in India. The Navy began it in June 2019, after merchant ships were attacked in the Gulf of Oman. Indian warships escort these ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which is a chokepoint: a narrow sea passage that much of the world's shipping must use. The operation matters because much of India's oil and gas comes through these waters, and so does a large share of its trade with the Gulf.
Example
The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman and joins the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. Ships under Operation Sankalp pass through it. By the end of 2022, the Navy had sent 36 warships under the operation. They escorted 453 Indian-flagged merchant vessels carrying about 361 lakh tonnes of cargo.
Don't confuse with
- Naseem Al Bahr: a bilateral naval exercise (a practice drill) between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman. Operation Sankalp is a live mission, so its warships escort real ships through real danger.
- Operation Meghdoot (1984): the Indian Army operation that secured the Siachen glacier and the Saltoro ridge. It took place on land and had nothing to do with protecting ships at sea.