Indian Army asks personnel to delete 89 apps including Facebook, PUBG, Zoom

Snapchat, Tinder, OkCupid, UC Browserare among apps that should be removed, says the force.

Indian Army has asked its personnel to delete 89 apps from their smartphones including Facebook, TikTok, Tinder, PUBG, and Instagram to plug leakage of information, said Indian Army sources.

Snapchat, Tinder, OkCupid, UC Browser, Bumble, ShareIt, Xender, Helo, CamScanner, Club Factory etc are among those 89 apps.

This came days after the Government banned 59 apps, mostly Chinese including TikTok, UC News, and CamScanner amid the standoff with China.

Some of the 89 apps are among those which the Centre has already banned stating "they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order".

The list of apps the Indian army personnel have reportedly been asked to delete from their smartphones is divided into numerous categories like messaging apps - (We Chat, Helo, Share Chat, Viber, IMO, Hike and others), video hosting (Tik Tok, Likee, Samosa, Kwali, and others), contents sharing (ShareIt, Xender, Zapya, and others), web browsers (UC Browser and UC Browser Mini), video and live streaming (Zoom, LiveMe, Vmate, Uplive and others), utility apps (CamScanner, Beauty Plus, and True Caller), gaming apps (PUBG, Clash of Kings and others), eCommerce apps (Club Factory, AliExpress, Chinabrands, and others), dating apps (Tinder, OkCupid, Badoo, Bumble, Happn, Couch Surfing, and others), news apps (News Dog and Daily Hunt), lifestyle apps (POPXO), music apps (Hungama and Songs.pk) and blogging/microblogging apps (Tumblr, Reddit, and others).

India-China border tensions flare up as soldiers scuffle in Ladakh: Report

The tensions flared up even as the Indian Army is all set to hold a major exercise to test its new integrated battle groups in Arunachal Pradesh in October, added the report.

Tensions at the border between India and China flared up again on Wednesday after a prolonged confrontation between the troops of both countries in eastern Ladakh, the Times of India reported on Thursday.

Sources told the national daily that the face-off began soon after dawn on Wednesday on the northern bank of the 134-km-long Pangong Tso -- 'Tso' means lake -- two-thirds of which is controlled by China.

The tensions flared up even as the Indian Army is all set to hold a major exercise to test its new integrated battle groups (IBGs) in Arunachal Pradesh in October, added the report.

An unnamed source told ToI that Indian Army soldiers were on a patrol when People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers confronted them.

According to the source, the PLA soldiers "strongly objected" to the presence of the Indian soldiers in the area. The source added that this led to a scuffle between the soldiers of the two countries, with both sides sending in some reinforcements to the area. "The face-off was in progress at the site till the evening,” the source told the national daily.

In its response to the paper, the Indian Army said that delegation-level talks, led by brigadier-rank officers, had been "agreed to by the two sides" in accordance with the established bilateral mechanism to defuse such tensions.

"Such incidents often take place due to differing perceptions of where the Line of Actual Control (LAC) actually lies... they are usually resolved through border personnel meetings, flag meetings and the like," an unnamed officer told ToI.

Business Standard

Pellet guns have killed 24, blinded 139 in Kashmir since 2010: Report

According to Union Home ministry, pellet guns, tear gas and chilli-filled shells are considered as non-lethal weapons for controlling crowd during protests.

Violent protests in Kashmir are quelled using what the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) describes as ‘non-lethal’ crowd-control measures. These include pellet guns, tear gas and chilli-filled shells (containing PAVA or pelargonic acid vanillyl amide, found in chillies).

But these munitions are far from non-lethal, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of MHA data and Srinagar hospital records.

We found that:

Tear-gas shells killed five between January 2010 and May 2019, and injured 176 between July 2016 and February 2019.

Chilli-filled shells killed one and caused respiratory problems in 51 of 294 respondents (non-combatants) surveyed for a medical study in downtown Srinagar. Of them, 97% developed cough and irritation within few seconds of breathing the gas.

Metal pellets have killed 18, blinded 139, injured 2,942 and caused eye injuries to 1,459 between July 2016 and February 2019.

Over 100,000 tear gas canisters and almost 50,000 rounds of chilli spray have been used in over 4,000 incidents of stone-pelting in different parts of Kashmir since 2010, a senior security official who did not wish to be named told IndiaSpend. This situation worsened after July 2016 when militant commander, Burhan Wani, was shot dead by forces. There are no figures available on the use of pellets.

Human rights organisations such as Amnesty International have expressed outrage over the crowd control methods used in Kashmir and demanded a ban on these, especially pellets, which have blinded victims.

While the impact of pellets on victims has been documented extensively, there are few reports available on the effects of tear gas and chilli spray. We found in our investigations that these gases, which spread quickly, cause widespread damage to the health of those exposed. Those affected are not just those targeted by the forces but also passersby and those at home in the vicinity of the protest. Inhaling these gases causes paroxysms of cough and burning in the eyes, victims told us.

These accounts were confirmed by a May 2014 study published by Parvaiz Koul, professor and head of department, internal medicine at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar, and his colleagues at the department of internal and pulmonary medicine.

Business Standard

Indian Army organises commemorative trek to mark 20 years of Kargil war

A trekking expedition to Khalubar was undertaken by the 1st Battalion of the 11 Gurkha Rifles.

The 20th anniversary of the Kargil War was celebrated in a grand manner by the Indian Army with a commemorative trek to Khalubar.

Army said that the year 2019 witnesses the 20th anniversary of the Kargil War and this important milestone was celebrated in a grand manner by the Indian Army with a view to rekindle the pride and valour of all the gallant soldiers who took part in Operation Vijay.

One of the severest battles fought during the Kargil War was the Battle of Khalubar in the Batalik Sector. Despite the harsh terrain, the valiant soldiers of 1/11 Gorkha Rifles were successful in forcing the enemy to evict from his positions thus contributing a victory which will be remembered till times to come.

The battalion was awarded the Battle Honour "Batalik" and Theatre Honour "Kargil" and gallantry awards to include one Param Vir Chakra and three Vir Chakras.

To commemorate this victory as part of the 20th anniversary of Operation Vijay, a trekking expedition to Khalubar was undertaken by the 1st Battalion of the 11 Gurkha Rifles. The objective of the trek was to celebrate the triumph of the Battalion as also to pay homage to the brave 'Kirantis'.

After inducting into Leh, the team completed its mandatory acclimatization and necessary preparations by July 5.

A strength of two Junior commissioned Officers and eight Other Ranks participated in this trek which was flagged off on July 8. The team covered a distance of about 10 kilometres before summiting Khalubar.

During their journey, the team traversed through the harsh inhospitable terrain at altitudes varying from 9000 feet to 17000 feet.

Business Standard

Curiosity or fear? How Yeti, Unicorn and Bigfoot caught world's imagination

The Indian Army had tweeted on the 29th of April that it spotted footprints that supposedly belonged to the mythical creature that lives in the Himalayas, according to legend.

Business Standard : Propelled by fascination for the unknown, a variety of creatures, from the abominable Himalayan snowman to its North American cousin Bigfoot, often cross over from myth into reality even though there is little evidence to back their existence.

As it was last fortnight when the Indian Army rekindled the Yeti mystery with its tweet showing pictures of large footprints in the snow in the higher Himalayas and claimed they belonged to the abominable snowman.

Experts believe the possible reasons behind the enduring obsession with the beings that inhabit the nebulous worlds of legend and folklore and ever so frequently enter the realm of everyday life are many -- from human curiosity and the need to connect with the past to identifying threats to the survival of humankind.

Loch Ness, Unicorn and Almas... the list of such creatures is long, cutting across regions and cultures.

The correlation between imagination and imagined reality is once again under the scanner with the Indian Army releasing pictures and videos of footprints captured close to the Makalu Base Camp in Nepal in March.

In Nepali folklore, Yeti is a mythical bipedal ape-like creature taller than an average human and is said to inhabit the Himalayas, Siberia, Central and East Asia.

Nepali officials later clarified the footprints belong to the Himalayan Black Bear active in the area.

"As we get farther from the real wild, we seek talismans to connect us to the wild. A half-man, half-ape creature is such a symbol. It gives humanity an identity as an animal in a world where we are otherwise making everything of human manufacture," said American conservationist Daniel C Taylor who has spent 35 years in Nepal's Barun Valley dispelling the Yeti myth.

"I researched from 1956, when at age 11 I saw my first photograph of the footprint so I knew there was a real animal, to 1983 when I explained scientifically that it was the Himalayan Black Bear," Taylor, who is also the author of the 2017 book, 'Yeti: The Ecology of a Mystery', told PTI.

Given the lack of evidence of its existence, the scientific community has generally regarded the Yeti as a legend.

Wagah Border ceremony offers a glimpse of India's response to Pulwama attack

How the beating retreat ceremony at India- Pakistan border checkpost looks, and feels, in wake of the Pulwama attack.

Pulwama Attack : 'Please don't raise slogans other than Bharat Mata ki Jai, Hindustan Zindabaad and Vande Mataram,' the parade anchor repeatedly cautions the audience which has gathered to witness the beating retreat ceremony at Wagah-Attari.

Emotions run high among all those who have gathered here. On any other day, one would expect intense patriotism and a little bit of anger at Pakistan. Not today. It has not been a week since a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle laden with explosives into a convoy of paramilitary personnel. The blood of the 40 soldiers, who might have been sharing wisecracks one moment and were blown up the next, hasn't dried.

(Business Standard)

When a group of youngsters hurls expletives at Pakistan, a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan raps them. "Is this why you guys have gathered here?" he reprimands in a bada bhai tone. Most of us are confused what our response should be.

Schoolchildren sitting on the front row turn backwards. Two of their accompanying elders, presumably teachers, ask them to 'look at the mazedaar outfits of the parade party.'

On a usual day, middle-aged elders in the crowd would have taken exception to the youngsters. Perhaps, sneered at them if not asked them to behave. But today they seem to be unsure if Pakistan doesn't deserve a mouthful.

After the attack, one which Sachin Tendulkar, who never sledged back no matter however nasty the opposition got, called 'dastardly', the generally well-behaved Indian has been at a loss, searching for ways to chip away at the enemy - - on social media and chai shops alike.

For the last half an hour, the sun has been troubling us. Curious members of the audience try hard to shield their eyes against the sun with their hands and look across the gates. They want to know what's happening on the other side of the border. Geography intends a pun at this site. The sun rises in India, the east, and sets in Pakistan, the west.

A jawan invites women members of the audience to the parade track to dance to patriotic songs. Ladies make a beeline and flood the 25-30 yards wide stage. The crowd has ceased shifting in their seats. We sing along and cheer the volunteers. A R Rahman's Oscar winning 'Jai Ho' entices those seated to shake a leg and break a jig. When 'Suno gaurseduniyawalon, burinazarna hum pe daalo' plays, some members of the troupe change their stance from the audience - facing to Pakistan - facing. We cheer them loud enough to send the message across.

Pak, China share the blame for Pulwama attack but India must introspect too

It's possible Pakistan may want to stir up trouble in Kashmir. But, if it succeeds, then it is New Delhi that will have failed.

Millions of Indians will by now have seen the twisted wreckage of buses carrying dozens of Indian paramilitary soldiers from the Central Reserve Police Force, or CRPF; at least 40 of them died when a car loaded with explosives rammed into their convoy as it passed through Pulwama district of India’s Jammu and Kashmir state. Jaish-e-Mohammed, a group of militant Islamic extremists who pioneered suicide bombings in the disputed region of Kashmir, claimed responsibility for the attack. As one Kashmiri politician wrote on Twitter, it was “reminiscent of the dark days of militancy pre 2004-05.”

Jaish-e-Mohammed is based in Pakistan. Its leader, Masood Azhar, gives speeches freely and the group has built a sprawling training complex in the city of Bahawalpur, which features a wall painting of suitably militant-looking horses bearing down on Delhi’s Red Fort. Periodically, the Pakistani government pretends to crack down on militant Islamists such as Azhar; in fact, the terrorists continue to raise funds, recruit and strike at will across Pakistan’s borders. Nor is it just India that suffers. The Afghan government tells all and sundry that it cannot defeat the Taliban as long as the militants are supported by Pakistan. Just a day before the Kashmir attack, the Pakistan-based Sunni extremist group Jaish al Adl killed 27 members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, also using a car bomb.

(Business Standard)

Pakistani officials often like to say that their country is among the foremost victims of Islamist terrorism. Perhaps. But, their response has been at best to accommodate extremism, and at worst to try and convince terrorists that their efforts are best turned outwards, towards India, Afghanistan or Iran. Indian government officials -- like the Afghans -- are caught in a bind. They have little leverage over the militants’ patrons within the Pakistani military establishment. Nor are the Americans any longer influential enough to help: Jaish-e-Mohammed went quiet in the mid-2000s at American insistence but reemerged soon enough.

The Pakistani military has found a new patron: the People’s Republic of China. Beijing has repeatedly blocked attempts by India at the United Nations to declare Azhar a “global terrorist,” freeze his assets and prevent him from travelling. Nobody can quite understand why the same country that runs prison camps for ordinary Muslims in Xinjiang is protecting a self-confessed jihadi militant. Earlier, only the generals in Rawalpindi were held responsible for attacks such as this one in India. Today, Beijing’s leaders will have to accept their share of the blame.

The India of the past would grit its teeth and absorb a blow like this. But Indian public opinion is no longer as patient as it was during the attack on Parliament in 2002 or the siege of Mumbai in 2008. The big box-office success of the past year in India has been a dramatization of the cross-border strikes on militant camps in Pakistani Kashmir launched in retaliation for a similar (albeit less bloody) Jaish-e-Mohammed attack a few years ago.

Republic Day: 855 police personnel decorated; 149 get gallantry medals

Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were also decorated posthumously.

A total of 855 police and paramilitary personnel were awarded police medals Friday, including 149 for gallantry in Jammu and Kashmir, Naxal violence-affected areas and others, ahead of the Republic Day.

The CRPF, the country's largest paramilitary force, was decorated with maximum 44awards for bravery followed by Odisha Police at 26 medals, Jammu and Kashmir Police 25 medals and Chhattisgarh 14 medals.

ALSO READ: Delhi cops foil terror attack plot on Republic Day; arrest JeM terrorists

Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were also decorated posthumously with the top category President's Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG).

Other gallantry medal winners hail from Meghalaya (13), Uttar Pradesh (10), Border Security Force (8), Delhi (4), Jharkhand (3) and one each from the Assam Rifles and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

A Ministry of Home Affairs order said a total of 146 Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG), 74 President's Police Medal for distinguished service and 632 police medal for meritorious service were conferred on the men and the women in khaki from various state police and central police forces and organisations.

Business Standard

Isro to launch GSAT-7A communication satellite for IAF, Army on Dec 19

The satellite will be placed in the geostationary orbit and this communication satellite is expected to help the IAF interlink different ground radar stations, airbases and AWACS aircraft.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is planning to launch a dedicated communication satellite for defence purposes next week.

GSAT-7A is a communications satellite which can be used by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army.

Isro is all set to launch the communication satellite GSAT-7A on board the GSLV-F11 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on December 19, 2018. The satellite will weigh 2.2 tonnes and will be launched by the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mk II) rocket, said Isro.

The satellite will be placed in the geostationary orbit and this communication satellite is expected to help the IAF interlink different ground radar stations, airbases and AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System) aircraft.

GSAT-7A is the 35th Indian Communication satellite built by Isro. The GSAT-7A spacecraft is configured on Isro’s standard I-2,000 Kg (I-2K) bus. The satellite is built to provide communication capability to the users in Ku-band over the Indian region. Total cost of the GSAT-7A is estimated to be in the region of Rs 6-8 billion and its life is estimated to be around nine years, according to Isro sources.

The satellite will enable the IAF to interlink different ground radar stations, ground airbase and airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft, such as Beriev A-50 Phalcon and DRDO AEW&CS. The satellite will also enhance Network-centric warfare capabilities of the Indian Air Force and therefore enhance its global operations.

GSAT-7A is also expected to give a major push for drone operations as it would help the Navy reduce the reliance on on-ground control stations and take satellite-control of military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), which should help boost the range and endurance of the UAVs, said industry experts.

In addition to GSAT-7A, the IAF would also be getting the GSAT-7C in a few years, to boost the network-centric operations.

The GSAT 7 series was launched in 2013 as a dedicated communications satellite for the Indian Navy, which made the Navy completely independent of relying on foreign satellites.

GSAT 7 currently has a 2,000 nautical mile footprint and provides real-time inputs to Indian warships, submarines and maritime aircraft.

According to reports, India has around 13 military satellites, with most of them being remote-sensing satellites like the Cartosat-series and RISAT satellites placed in the near-earth orbit for better scanning of Earth.

However, some of the Indian military satellites are placed in the geostationary orbit. These are used for surveillance, navigation and communication purpose by the armed forces.

Business Standard

India to soon deploy 1st 'smart fence' project along Pak, Bangladesh border

India will deploy laser fences and technology enabled barriers to plug venerable gaps along India's borders.

The first 'smart fence' pilot project, which entails deploying laser fences and technology-enabled barriers to plug venerable gaps along India's borders, is expected to be formally launched by Home Minister Rajnath Singh later this week, the BSF chief said Friday.

Such gadgetry will be deployed along 2,400 kilometers of India's border with Pakistan and Bangladesh in the future, he said.

Director General, Border Security Force, K K Sharma said India's relation with Bangladesh and its border guarding force, BGB, are very friendly at present, and their priority is to install these smart gadgets, as part of the comprehensive integrated border management system (CIBMS), along the Pakistan frontier first.

"The first pilot project of the CBIM system or smart fence is already in place and working in Jammu. The home minister will formally launch it on September 17... but this is a tentative date.

"On the eastern side in Dhubri, across the Brahmuptra, we have installed technical solutions on a stretch of 55-60 kilometers because there is no possibility of erecting a fence there," the BSF chief told reporters here.

He said the border guarding force is using a number of latest gadgets and technology to technology-enabled this area on the eastern side. They have been integrated and a CCTV-like feed will be given to the border post and immediate action can be taken against any intrusion attempt.

"This (Dhubri) is almost completed and likely to be inaugurated on September 27. These are initial phases. We have identified vulnerable areas along the borders and roughly an area of about 2,400-km has been identified for rolling out the CIBMS ultimately," he said.

Our priority, for the smart fence or laser fence project, is the western side because we have very friendly relations with Bangladesh and we are in no hurry, he said.

If we have to prioritise, then we will start with the borders with Pakistan, he added.

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Kodagu floods: Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy demands Rs 1 bn relief fund

Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday announced an ex gratia of Rs 500,000 for the families which were rendered homeless.

Kodagu Flood : Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has urged the Centre to provide Rs 1 billion relief fund for rain-ravaged state's Kodagu district.

Addressing the media, the chief minister said, "The Prime Minister has announced relief of Rs 5 billion for Kerala, we expect at least Rs 1 billion for Kodagu. We will request the central government for it. We have to repair roads for connectivity. We are taking help of the Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)," Kumaraswamy said.

He added, "We conducted an aerial survey in Kodagu to review the flood situation. In all, 12 people have lost their lives. 845 houses have been damaged out of which 773 houses are partially damaged."

Kumaraswamy stated that a total of 6,620 people have been rehabilitated in the relief camps. He said, "41 relief camps in Kodagu and nine relief camps in Dakshina Kannada have been set up and a total of 6,620 people are sheltered in these relief camps. An adequate supply of drinking water and milk is being ensured in these camps."

On August 20, Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government should allocate adequate financial aid for relief efforts in the Kodagu district.

On August 19 Kumaraswamy conducted an aerial survey of landslides and flood-affected areas in Kodagu district. The Chief Minister also presented cheques to the families of Avarthi village who lost their houses in floods. He also inspected rain-affected areas in Somawarpet and adjacent areas.

Kumaraswamy on Saturday announced an ex gratia of Rs 500,000 for the families which were rendered homeless.

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Indian army surgical strike video released, shows ops against terror camps: TV channels

On September 29, 2016, the Indian Army announced that it attacked terrorists' camps along the Line of Control using ground forces.

Purported visuals of the Indian Army's cross-border operations against terrorists about two years ago were broadcast by television channels on Wednesday night.

News channels said the grainy footage on air showed gunfire and explosions targeting enemy camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, an operation that came in retaliation to a terrorist strike on an Indian Army camp and is widely known as surgical strikes.
The reports also said these videos, provided to TV channels by sources, were shot by drones using thermal imaging cameras.

Business Standard could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos but an official who was directly in charge of the operation confirmed that they were real.

“When the surgical strikes happened, my view was that the videos should have been released as proof. It is good that they have come out now,” Lt General D S Hooda (retd) told The Indian Express.

On September 29, 2016, the Indian Army announced that it attacked terrorists' camps along the Line of Control using ground forces. The act, which officials said inflicted “significant casualties” on terrorists, came after a deadly attack on a military base in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18 that year.

Pakistan rejected India's claims of having launched a surgical strike on terrorist camps in Pakistani territory.

In a book launched on the first anniversary of surgical strikes, an Army Major, who reportedly led the mission, said the return was the most difficult part and bullets fired by the enemy were so close that these were whistling past the ears.

Indian forces kill 2 terrorists in Kashmir's Bandipora, encounter underway

The gun battle comes a day after the Centre decided not to extend its unilateral initiative of a month-long Ramzan ceasefire.

Ramzan ceasefire : Two militants were killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, the Army said.


The operation comes a day after the Centre announced its decision not to extend the ceasefire in the state.


An Army official said that security forces launched an anti-militancy operation in Bandipora district this morning following information about presence of militants in the area.


He said two militants have been killed so far even as the operation continues to be in progress.


The identity and group affiliation of the slain militants was not immediately known.


Security forces have adopted a proactive approach setting up check barriers at various places across the valley including the summer capital of the state.


Police and other security agencies were carrying out random checks of vehicles entering the city at various places.


The intensification in the area domination operations and checking of vehicles comes in the wake of significant rise in number of attacks on security forces in the city during the month of Ramzan.

Terrorists ignore Ramzan ceasefire, attack J&K Army camp and kill jawan

The attack on the Army camp comes barely two days after 5 terrorists were gunned down by security forces in a failed infiltration attempt along the LoC.

Terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have clearly rejected the Indian government's gesture to cease operations in the state during the holy month of Ramzan, conducting their first strike since the announcement by attacking an Indian Army camp located in the Pulwama district of South Kashmir and killing an Army jawan and a civilian.
Police told news agencies that the terrorists attacked the 50 Rashtriya Rifles' camp on Sunday night at Kakapora in the Pulwama district. Authorities told news agencies that Army personnel retaliated to the firing unleashed by the terrorists.
The attack left a jawan seriously injured. Further, a civilian, who was identified as Bilal Ahmed, was also caught in the crossfire and left seriously injured. The duo, who were both rushed to a hospital, succumbed to their injuries.
In the wake of the attack, authorities are enforcing prohibitory orders in parts of Pulwama district.
Apart from this attack, news agencies reported on Monday that three Army personnel were injured in a blast, triggered by an improvised explosive device (IED), that occurred between the Sugan and Chillipora area of Kashmir's Shopian district. Subsequently, a cordon and search operation was launched.
Infiltration bid foiled
The attack on the Army camp and the IED blast come barely two days after five terrorists were gunned down on Saturday after security forces foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control in J&K's Tangdhar sector.
The infiltration attempt came hours after the Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, called upon Pakistan to stop infiltration to establish peace along the border.
Ramzan ceasefire
The Centre on May 16 announced a ceasefire in J&K, directing the security forces to halt their operations during Ramzan to help "peace-loving Muslims" observe the holy month in a peaceful environment.
The ceasefire is reminiscent of a similar initiative that was announced in 2000 by then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It came just two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to visit Jammu to inaugurate development projects and address the sixth convocation of a University in the state's winter capital.

According to a statement by the Union Home Ministry, security forces have been told not to launch operations in Jammu and Kashmir during the holy month. However, the statement also said that the forces would reserve the right to retaliate if attacked or if it was essential to protect the lives of innocent people.