Overview
- Modi said Operation Sindoor became a symbol of national pride that showed India would not compromise on security, tying it to the year’s broader sense of unity.
- Operation Sindoor was described as precision strikes launched on May 7 against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
- He highlighted sports successes, citing the men’s ICC Champions Trophy win, the women’s cricket team’s first World Cup title and the Women’s Blind T20 World Cup, along with para-athletes’ medals.
- On science and space, he hailed Shubhanshu Shukla becoming the first Indian to reach the International Space Station as evidence of advances in innovation.
- Cultural and civic touchpoints included the Prayagraj Mahakumbh, the Ram Temple flag-hoisting in Ayodhya and the 150th year of Vande Mataram, with conservation notes such as cheetahs crossing 30 and a call to buy swadeshi goods.