Which one of the following statements is most appropriate about ‘Exercise Kavach’?
- (a)It is a military exercise of the Indian Army only
- (b)It is a joint military exercise involving the Indian Army and the Indian Navy only
- (c)It is a joint military exercise involving the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force only
- (d)It is a joint military exercise involving the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force and also the Indian Coast Guard
Correct — D, a joint exercise involving the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force and also the Indian Coast Guard. Exercise Kavach (early 2021) was a large-scale integrated exercise conducted under the Andaman and Nicobar Command — India's only unified tri-service theatre command — and it drew in all three services plus the Indian Coast Guard. Because the Coast Guard also took part, the fullest and correct description is option (d), not the tri-service-only option (c).
- (a)It is a military exercise of the Indian Army only — Kavach was a joint, multi-service exercise, not a single-service Army drill.
- (b)It is a joint military exercise involving the Indian Army and the Indian Navy only — It also involved the Indian Air Force and the Coast Guard, so 'Army and Navy only' understates its scope.
- (c)It is a joint military exercise involving the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force only — Close, but incomplete — the Indian Coast Guard also participated, so restricting it to the three services misses the Coast Guard.
The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), set up in 2001 at Port Blair, is India's first and only tri-service theatre command. Exercise Kavach was held under it to test joint war-fighting and maritime-security coordination across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
The distinguishing detail is the Indian Coast Guard's inclusion; options (c) and (d) differ only on that. Recalling that Kavach was run under the ANC — which coordinates with the Coast Guard for island security — points to (d).
- Exercise Kavach (2021) was conducted under the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
- It involved the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and the Indian Coast Guard.
- The ANC (Port Blair, established 2001) is India's only tri-service theatre command.
- Kavach tested joint operations and maritime-domain awareness in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
All three services PLUS the Coast Guard took part — option (d).
- Choosing 'Army, Navy and Air Force only' and forgetting the Coast Guard.
- Assuming Kavach is a single-service exercise.
Asked as 'which forces take part in Exercise X' or 'Exercise X is conducted under which command' — a defence current-affairs item.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
India's only tri-service theatre command is the
- (a)Western Command
- (b)Andaman and Nicobar Command
- (c)Strategic Forces Command
- (d)Southern Command
Answer(b) Andaman and Nicobar Command — headquartered at Port Blair.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Exercise Kavach (2021) was primarily aimed at testing
- (a)disaster relief in the Himalayas
- (b)joint operations and maritime security in the Andaman and Nicobar islands
- (c)anti-terror drills in Punjab
- (d)desert warfare in Rajasthan
Answer(b) joint operations and maritime security in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.